Like Petals From A Rose
by XxScorpio-MoonxX
Summary: Sekka is a hardluck hooker who doesn't believe in love, but when she accidently mistakes Yami for a customer, he's determined to help her. Over time he shows her that she can be loved, but when a face from her hard past comes back, will it be enough? DONE
1. Everyone Has Their Private Hell

Disclaimer: Don't own the show, just my characters and the plot line.

A/N: Ok, here I am go with another fic. I really shouldn't be doing this, but hey, when I get an idea, it harasses me until I give in and write it! Neways, this fic is probably going to be pretty dark so I'll give ya the warning now.

Warnings: Language, violence, mentions of and sexual scenes, self-harm (Cutting), and mentions of and/or attempted suicide.

Ok, with all that said.............

Like Petals From a Rose

Chapter One

Everyone Has Their Private Hell

For this story, you wouldn't need my name, or my description, or anything else about me, but for some reason, I have a feeling that you want it.

My name is Sekka Tate. How do you pronounce that you might ask? Sake-a. I have long dark hair that ends about to mid-back, and angry and sad aqua eyes. My eyes usually display my every emotion, announcing how I feel to the cruel world outside my bedroom door, which I hate.

There's nothing special about me really, just another depressed gothic girl in a world full of them. Despite knowing that fact, I still felt alone. I was dangerously thin, which my mother always claimed to be worried about, at least when I had seen her last, which had been about two years ago, but I had the lingering feeling that she didn't. Not really anyway.

If she did, why would she have drove me insane enough to the point that I was living in a run down apartment building, nearly starving to death, and hardly enough clothes to put on my back after I paid the rent? Motherly love? I don't think so.

The morning started like any other. Wake up with nothing but my hate to keep me company, reach for my pack of cigarettes, lit one, get dressed in what little I had, and head to school. God, it was a miracle that I even had the energy to get my ass to school after my job.

I let out a bitter laugh at the thought of it.

A prostitute, a hooker, a slut, a whore.

But hey, I needed to do it to live, we all have to eat, pay the rent, and well, try and live in this shitty world where probably no-one even cared what the hell happened to you. It's not like I hadn't tried to get other jobs, but I was either too young, not experienced enough, or I scared the customers with my pierced tongue and lip, my black clothes and my hateful eyes.

Whatever the case, it caused me to become desperate, desperate enough to be standing on street corners with a few other girls I didn't know the names of or care for that matter, giving blow jobs and whatever else they wanted. Usually me naked under them, but hey, what can you do?

I heard the bell for class before I was even on the property and cursed. Looks like I was going to be in shit again. Ah fuck it, who the hell gives a fuck anyway. Glaring at nothing in particular I threw my locker open grabbing my books and other shit that I needed.

A laugh caught my attention and I looked over, more for something to do then actually caring, and rolled my eyes in disgust.

Yami Moto, Tea Gardner, Joey Wheeler, and Tristan Taylor. The laugh that I heard was clearly Tea's as she draped herself over Yami, not that I cared. Some bastard and his own private whore, after all wasn't that what every man wanted, this one was just lucky to find someone so willing.

This sight alone almost made me not want to go to English, seeing as Yami, Tea, and Joey were in it, but hey, I had to learn that way maybe someday I would look in the mirror and see something other a white-trash gutter whore.

Hating the world and slamming my locker shut I followed the popular assholes to the classroom where I took my seat in the back as usual, but not before the teacher said something about my lateness, not that I listened, I just kept walking.

"Miss Tate, I'm talking to you, now get back here and listen." I turned back around and glared. I needed some way to get all this hate out of me and it was either cutting my arms until they bleed like fountains, or lash out at the world that had made me they way I am.

Seeing as it was a classroom, I chose option b.

"Do I look like a give a fuck if your talking to me?" I asked, my eyes I knew flashing fury, and proudly displaying the pain as deep as the ocean that was eating me inside. Fuck, sometimes I wish I could just shut the damn things off. "Cuz you think I do, your more stupid and fucked up then I thought. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sit my fucking ass down in this shitty classroom and pretend to listen to what's coming out of your goddamn mouth just like the rest of this fucking class ok?"

He stared at me in shock for a few seconds until the moron had enough time to get angry.

"Get to the office." He shouted, pointing to the door, I just smirked. At least now I had a reason to get out of class. Turning around I flung my binder at the wall and walked out, giving the teacher the finger before slamming the door, wondering how long it would take before the rumors started flying.

Running down the hall to my locker I threw it open looking for the exacto knife that I always kept at the bottom of it. Breathing a sigh of relief I walked into the bathroom, locked the stall, and rolled up my sleeve.

Without blinking I tore it across my skin, a small smile gracing my lips as I watched the thick blood gush out, letting me cry and scream in ways I couldn't in life. Most people thought me crazy, insane, bitchy, and whatever other insults they hurled at me.

Some guys I had fucked had thought my scars were kinky, sexy, or whatever else they had thought in their twisted fucking minds, but to me, in a few days it would be just another scar upon the hundreds of other that I have, making a thin spider web pattern of white flesh against peach, or what should have been peach had I had proper nutrition.

I heard the door open and threw the knife into my pocket, grabbed some toilet paper to wipe of some of the blood, before pulling my long sleeved shirt down. I never wore short sleeves unless I was working. Calmly I walked out of the bathroom.

The two blondes were busy apply there way-too-heavy makeup fell silent, whispering to each other and giggling and as I walked by I overheard one of them whispering.

"Oh my god, look at her, like who does she think she is, Marilyn Mason?" This comment was followed by giggling and I had to laugh myself, turning to face them.

"No, I don't." I replied calmly. "Although, I'm not exactly fond of the Brittany Spears look, so next time you want to insult somebody, at least do it right you fucking dumb blonde bitch." Without looking back I walked out, headed back to my locker, replaced my knife and took out my poetry binder.

This I had never shown to anyone, and didn't plan to ever. There was too many of my personal feelings, thoughts, and yes, even my fears were all in this book. Sitting down in cafeteria I began writing, and I wasn't until someone let out a yell of disgust or fear I didn't know which, did I realize that my blood was soaking through my black shirt, and making a small puddle on the table.

Seconds later the nurse rushed in, asking me what had happened, I didn't say anything, just pushed her off when she tried to take my arm and left the cafeteria. I went back to the bathroom, ripped a piece of my pants off, tied it around the cut, and walked out.

Maybe I should stop cutting so deeply at school, but how else was I supposed to survive a day? I couldn't yell at everyone who crossed my path, or kick the world's ass for being a bitch, and it's not like I had any close friends I could rely on, sure I had my 'co-workers' but I would hardly call them friends.

Nope, I had only myself, my knife and razors, and my scars. The world didn't need me, and I didn't need the world. I waited around until at least first period was over until I left school, heading back 'home', washed my cut, and sat down, playing endless games of solitaire and writing poetry.

The hours passed, the world went by, but to me, it seemed like I was locked in a cell that was forever frozen in time. My past and future blended into one, so did the minutes, hours, days, months, even years. After all, I had been working as a call-girl two months after I had first moved out, two days after my fourteenth birthday, and I had been working as a whore ever since.

At first it had seemed I dunno what, fun maybe, at least then I had enjoyed the sex, but now, it was just something that I had to do, I didn't even really like it anymore. And I wished to god that I could go back in time and kick the shit outta myself for thinking it was a good idea at the time.

But again, as the days went on, and eventually two years later I realized that I had created a prison for myself and threw away the key. A bitter laugh escaped my lips at my own stupidity and naiveté. The memory was pushing into my waking mind, but I pushed it back, refusing to relive my life again - once had been bad enough.

I wished like hell that I could turn back time to when I was young enough to change, but it was far too late for that now. I couldn't go back and fix things between me and my mom, and I couldn't kick the shit out of my younger myself.

True, I had had fun, being wild, and learning all about sex (usually when I was either drunk, or stoned out of my mind), making friends that would abandon me later, drinking, partying, living my life before I had even begun it.

Then I got landed in jail for a few things, and when I got out, everything I knew was gone. I couldn't find my old friends or anyone else, so I went back to what I knew - the corners.

I was trapped in my own hell, and only walls of fire surrounded me. I had nowhere too run, maybe when I was younger my strength and hope could have destroyed those walls, but what could I do right now at 19, having been a hooker for five years, and staring at the sky as it turned dark, knowing that I had to go out and do it again? Fuck all, that's what.

Slowly, unwilling to move, I stood up, walking into my bedroom and looking in my closet that held mostly work clothes and two outfits that I could wear to school without them having another reason to throw my ass out.

Slowly, I habitually chose my clothes, threw them onto the bed with a sigh and began stripping my clothes, throwing my bloody shirt into the sink wear I rise it out later - not that it mattered, blood doesn't show up on black.

I turned and stared into the full-length mirror- the only one in the apartment that I hadn't smashed, mostly because I needed it to put on clothes. My eyes traveled to my hollow aqua eyes, haunted eyes some might call them, framed by dark brown hair, the skin beneath them almost translucent, over to my shoulder that still harbored the bullet scar from being shot, to my skinny arms and legs that were barely more then bone, and it was then I had to stop and look away if I wanted to keep this mirror.

I hated looking at mirrors, hated looking at the wreck I had become. Instead I put on my mesh leggings, leather miniskirt, leather bra-like top with a mesh shirt over it, and high-heeled hooker boots. I managed to add at least some color to my face with cover up before applying thick black eye-shadow, mascara, and all the other shit that came with being what I was.

Last was the long blonde wing that I used to cover my dark hair. I didn't really like it, but it survived it's reasons, like helping to get away from cops, and at least try to maintain some dignity when I walked on the street during the day.

Throwing all the make-up into a bag which I chucked at the wall as I left, walking into the night air, and heading to my usual spot, were the four other girls were already waiting.

"Hey Sekka, what the hell took you so long?" Ping asked, taking a puff of her cigarette as she looked around to see if any males had come yet.

"I got distracted." I answered, pulling out a cigarette of my own.

"Early customer huh?" She said, licking her lips and winking, reminding me of what I had been like.

"Not exactly." I drawled, my eyes scanning for cops or men, whichever I saw first. I waited around, listening to the other girls chatter about this or that, laughing and smiling, and talking like they cared about what the other was saying.

I knew all the smiles and the laughter was fake, that they were only trying to kid themselves that they had reasons to laugh. Like if they pretended they were happy for long enough, maybe they would actually feel that way someday.

Bullshit, but when it gets so bad that reality makes you want to die, sometimes you need dreams to keep you alive. But I wasn't like them, I didn't bother forcing any smiles to the world, but what does it matter?

The minutes passed by, the five of us waiting until we spotted a group of guys. For once, we didn't have to go and flaunt ourselves, they approached us with the wide grins and glassy eyes of lust that I knew and loathed so well.

I inwardly groaned when I spotted Tristan Taylor among them. I knew that he was among the men that had whores at least once a week, and I felt my skin crawl as he fixed his eyes on me and wink. 'Well it looks like his found his fuck for the night.' I thought bitterly, hating my job, him, the world, but mostly myself.

"Hey, you wanna, go somewhere a little more private?" He asked, leaning in so that only I could hear him. Every part of my body screamed no, but I made myself nod and look eager.

"Later Sekka." Ping said, and winked. I mustered a weak smile before getting into his car. Minutes later we were driving.

"So what's your name anyway?" He asked, his eyes running over my body, lust smoldering in them.

"Sarah." I answered. I never used my real name whenever I had sex with anyone, none of us did. It would be too easy for them to track us down.

"Interesting." He purred, turning onto a dirt path. I was amazed they even had parts that resembled the country in Tokyo. A few more moments passed in silence until he turned the car off and leaned over, resting his hand on my thigh. "So what's the going rate babe?" Anger flooded my body at this, and more then anything I wanted to castrate him in the most painful way known to mankind.

"50 bucks." I answered, and hardly before I knew what was going on, I was in the back seat and he was all hands. Like any other time, I laid numb as he had his way with me, doing whatever he pleased. It was a few moments before he entered me, and I faked my moans just as a actor reads their script.

Slowly he climbed off me, letting me sit up and reach for my clothes. A knock on the window made me jump, grabbing for Tristan's coat to cover myself as he rolled down the window, revealing the bushy blond head of Joey Wheeler.

"Hey man, what da hell are ya doin' out here?" He asked, peering into the car. Upon seeing me, his face spread into a wide grin. "Havin' fun?"

"Somethin' like that." He replied casually.

"So, you wanna go out to a bar or something?" Wheeler asked, Tristan nodded.

"Just let me take her back." He answered, Joey nodded and moved away, revealing another man - Yami Moto. His crimson eyes locked with my aqua ones for a moment, making my breath catch in my throat. What if he recognized me? But then again why would he? Sure I recognized him, but only because the entire fucking student body knew who he was.

Blinking he seemed to shake himself before turning slowly back to the car where he got into the drivers seat. Slapping myself mentally, I focused on getting myself dressed and getting back. The drive back was fairly quiet as he took me back to the corner from whence I came.

Slowly I stepped out of the car and turned to him.

"The fifty." I said, my voice laced with ice. He smiled and pulled out his wallet.

"Here ya go babe." He replied, stuffing the bill down my top. I turned away, heading back to the others when something made me turn around, only to meet a pair of crimson eyes staring straight at me with a emotion I couldn't quite place.

It wasn't pity or lust it was.......... almost like a questioning.

Narrowing my eyes slightly I turned back and waited with the other girls until just a few hours before sunrise when we headed home and got whatever sleep we could.

But as I laid in bed, those eyes came back into my mind. The crimson eyes so filled with a power and an emotion that I still couldn't place, but I knew something for sure.

There was more to Yami Moto then meets the eye.

Much more.

A/N:

Ok, well there it is! I hope you guys liked it, I know I did. And I think the reason that I'm starting so many fics is because I'm trying out different writing styles, so that means I need reviewer input of this fic is likely to be forgotten in the place of something else. Neways, Ja ne.


	2. A Dangerous First Impression

Disclaimer: Do I look like someone who owns YGO? I don't think so.

A/N: Well, here's the next installment of LPFR. And hey, if you like this fic, then you should like my other one called 'The Gift', ya I know, shameless self-promo, but what can ya do? Anyways, enjoy the fic.

Like Petals From a Rose

Chapter Two

A Dangerous First Impression

As usual, I didn't get up until nearly noon, only allowing me to go to two classes, if I even survived them without going psycho on someone's ass. I groaned as I threw back the covers and crawled out of bed, getting ready before slamming the door as I left my apartment.

Memories of last night, and the hundreds of nights before plagued me like an endless droning voice in my ear, making my skin crawl. I hated my life - really fucking hated it, and yet I had trapped myself. Stomping down the stairs I threw the doors open into the crowded streets.

Every once and awhile I would look at someone's face and see a part of myself in their eyes, and it would make me wonder what their life was like, if it was as shitty as mine.

The same look that I had seen in Yami Moto's when I stepped out of the car.

It was driving me mad wondering what the little rich boy could have gone through to make his eyes have the same deadened, hollow looks as mine. What could he know about waking up constantly hungry and angry at the world for your own mistakes.

Hell, the bastard had everything he wanted. I hadn't seen his house, but I knew that it was the only one on the damn block. Hell, my entire apartment probably wasn't even the size of his bathroom. And still, he had that look that almost brought him on the same level as me, except that we were two completely different worlds that seemed light-years apart from each other.

Sighing I climbed the stairs of the school's front steps, making my way to my locker without even having to look where I was going. Grabbing the stuff I needed for my next class, plus my poetry binder, I stuffed my bag back into the small space and left, slamming the small door shut.

I walked down the halls, hearing the whispers and the taunts, but not caring. I hardly cared anymore, I was going numb inside, and to be honest, it scared the shit out of me. I walked into art class, amazed that I was on time for once in my life and sat down in the last row in the corner - my signature spot. If that spot wasn't taken, then I wasn't in class.

The teacher walked in and I looked up, actually wanting to pay attention to this class. I was the only class that I excelled at, and enjoyed. I listened as he told us our assignment that was due in two weeks. It was just a simple painting on anything you wanted done in a Japanese style.

A small smile graced my lips. This was going to be so easy seeing as my favorite style of art was Japanese. Taking out a sheet of paper and a pencil I started the basic sketch of what was going to be my project. I was determined to put what was left of my fragile heart into it, so that I might remember it forever.

Yes, I used the word fragile in a sentence relating to me. My heart broke a little more each day, even if it was walled in hate, the world went through the walls as if they weren't even there. I'm not even sure if they truly are or if I want them to be there.

I was scared underneath it all, scared that I was going to be a whore on the streets forever. It already seemed that I had been. I closed my eyes, trying vainly to block all the men I had served, all the men that had used me and thrown me away like the slut I was.

And most of all Tom. At the memory of his face, I snapped, clenching my fists and snapping the pencil that was in my grasp clean in half. I opened my eyes only to see all eyes on me, and I took a moment before I realized why. Looking down at my hand I saw the wooden pencil sticking out my palm, crimson fluid pouring from my hand.

"Miss. Tate, you may go to the bathroom to clean that up. Try to be more careful in the future." I said nothing, standing up with the wood still embedded in my palm.

Why didn't I feel it?

I should have felt it, my hand should be throbbing in pain, but it felt as if there was nothing at all. If anything, I felt a dark pleasure from it, the same dark satisfaction that rippled through me each time I cut myself.

I shuddered as I entered the bathroom and ran my hand under the tap, cleaning the wound with warm water that felt good against I prepared to remove the offending object. With blinking I pulled it out my skin as easily as ripping a piece of paper.

A red stream of my own warm blood stemmed over my hand and washed away into the sink, turning a pale shade before disappearing as if it had never been. I wished my life were like that, able to just be erased from this earth without leaving any scar at all.

Wrapping a piece of cloth from my pants around it I walked out of the bathroom and back to class. On my way back to my seat I was faced with questioning stares, but I ignored them. They knew nothing about me, and I wasn't about to tell them anything.

It was easier if no-one knew about me, my fears, my pain, my crimson tears. I vowed that no-one would ever know what happened in the bathroom and in the back seats of men's cars. No-one would know what went on in the dark recesses of my mind, the screams that haunted me in the darkness.

No-one.

The bell rang and I left class without a backwards glance, hurrying to my locker to grab my things. When I opened the door, a piece of paper fell to the floor. Knowing what it was I reluctantly picked it up and opened, letting my aqua eyes scan over the writing.

Be in front of the school at 3:30 slut.

Narrowing my eyes I crumpled the note in my palm before throwing it onto the ground in frustration. Well at least this wasn't as bad as most, which had detailed descriptions of what they wanted to do to me and visa-versa. Throwing the door shut I closed my eyes, resting my head against the smooth metal.

When was it ever going to end? I asked myself, the same question I asked myself everyday when I was standing on the street at night, cold as hell in my miniskirt and skimpy top. Putting it behind me I went to next class, preying against all hope that whoever it was would back out.

The bell rang and I gathered my things, dumping my things at my locker and heading out to the front of the school where I would wait until 3:30 for whoever had left the note to show up, if he even did at all. Sometimes if I was lucky, they would back out, leaving me to at least some of my dignity.

Pulling out a cigarette I lit one and puffed on it while I waited.

Twenty minutes passed without sign of anyone, and I turned to leave when I saw someone approaching me. Sighing I turned to face them, watching with loathing as they drew nearer. It was a few moments before I could make out who it was, and what I saw made me gasp.

Yami Moto.

I threw on a seductive smile as he approached, looking a little nervous, making me almost want to laugh. How could he be nervous about sex. Fuck, every girl in the goddamned school wanted him to get in her pants.

"I didn't think that you would be the type to be into this." I said, trying to look sexy, but ended up just looking pissed off. He cocked his head to the side as if he didn't quite understand what I was talking about. "But the again I suppose you have the money for it."

"What are you-"

"If you want a little fun n' games it's twenty, you want the whole thing, it's fifty, now what the hell do you want, and you better answer fast because I'm not in the mood." I replied coolly, mildly annoyed by his naiveté. Was he a fucking grade 13 or what?

"I just came to-" A shout cut him off and I turned to see a boy about my age hanging out of his car window.

"Hurry up bitch, I don't have all day." I paled as I turned back to Yami who seemed to finally have got what I meant, he was looking at me with eyes that were asking a thousand questions. Questions that I didn't want to answer. Without speaking I turned and flew into the car, not daring to look out the window where I knew his crimson eyes would pierce through me.

I hardly paid attention as he instructed me, I knew the skill off by heart. What my mind was focused on was what I was going to say to him when I next saw him, which I sincerely hoped didn't happen. He had stumbled far too close to my truth without knowing it, and I had to make sure he didn't get any closer.

When it was over, I had him drop me off at a local convenience store where I bought a little bit of food that would hopefully last me until the next day before making my way home, if I could even call it that. It seemed more like a prison then a home.

I slammed the door and flopped down onto my bed that was so hard that I could feel the springs jab into my back when I tried to sleep, but hey, it was better then a floor.

I sat there, wondering how on Earth I could have made such a mistake. I should have let him speak first, but again my anger had nearly cost me everything. It was the same anger that had destroyed my life, and here it was, at it again.

Closing my eyes I breathed the smell of the incense that was burning in it's holder on the dresser. Sandalwood, I had always loved that smell, it was a comfort somehow, I guess maybe because it reminded of my friends house before I lost her in an accident.

I was only 12 when it happened, but I remembered the smell clearly. Her house had always smelled like that, her house........... the only place where I had truly been accepted.

I closed my eyes and tried to tap into the well of sorrow that I held for her, but found nothing but anger. It seemed that the fire inside had slowly burned her out of existence as well. It scared me, it really did. Everything inside me was being consumed by a darkness that I was unable to stop.

It was going to kill me sooner or later.

Maybe it already had.

Maybe that's why I was unable to feel pain, could barely eat even though my body screamed for it. Maybe my soul really was becoming a large mass of nothing. I was already a shell of what I once was....... why not a shell of life?

I stayed there like that, with all these questions that I didn't have answers for, nor understand until darkness fell and I forced myself out of my thoughts and into the reality of my job as I dressed. I knew it was going to be cold and I shivered at the thought.

As usual I sat there and waited, getting picked up and dropped off only to wait for the whole vicious circle to happen again. The last time, I was greeted my Trish and Leslie, and listened to them chatter, only pretending to listen to what they had to say, when in reality, I could care less.

No-one here was real, all the girls, had their illusions and their roles, acting like they were really themselves, but them and I both knew that I was a facade. And act.

"Girl, your fucking out of it today, what the hell happened?" Trish asked in her usual false cheery voice. I snapped out of my reverie to look at her and shrug.

"Just not into it tonight." I replied. I never was, whenever they did what they had to, I turned my body off, making it as numb as my soul.

"Well, I hope your at least faking it." Leslie added. "They hate it when you don't make it fun." I nodded absently, my attention focused on the approaching car. I didn't really pay attention to it as I absentmindedly made conversation with the two other girls.

In fact I hardly noticed the car until the driver pulled up.

"Do you any of you know anyone by the name of Sara?" I felt my blood run cold, my knees wanting to give from beneath me as I slowly turned around, my face draining in color as my gaze fixed on the driver.

Yami.

A/N:

I know, it was kinda mean to end it there, but what can I say, I thought it was a good place to stop. Neways, I'm actually quite pleased with how this fic is turning out, I just need a little reviewer input to keep me going HintHint Next chapter: Yami and 'Sara' have a little talk, but does he know who she really is? And if so, why is he there in the first place? All will be revealed when I decided to get off my lazy ass and update lol. Reviewing might help with that !


	3. Truth

Disclaimer: Nope, I still haven't managed to steal YGO from it's owner, I trying though! But in the meantime I only own the plot and my characters!

A/N: WOW! 10 reviews already and it's only been two chapters! I'm so happy ! Oh, and the title to this fic does have meaning to the story, but you'll find out why later! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I've decided to start doing shout-outs, so here we go:

Loathed-Wolf-Spirit: Wow, I like the name change! And thanks for the review! You've read all my main fics (minus Open My Eyes Hint lol). Ya, I haven't been on msn for awhile because I haven't had time, but I hope to talk to you when I do get some time, until then, know that I love ya! (dearly not queerly)

serpent-vampfreak: I would update sooner then before, but i have a routine for my updates. Thanks for teh review, i really love your feedback, that and you've read most of my fics! I hope you like this chapter!

Ralphiere: Thanks! I try to make my characters real and unperfect to give the story a more realistic edge. I'm glad you like it. I see, you know people liek this? That's sad, i hope things turn out for the best for them.

The Summer Stars: Hopefully you'll stop stalking me now, lol. Nice hat. Anyways, mean place to end it yes, but that's what i do best. I'm not that good at agnst, but i'm glad you like it anyway. Here's your update.

suicide-greeting: Thanks for the review, and yes, Sekka is a blunt character, but she has to be. Anyways, nice name, and i hope you review again!

Well with that overwith, i give you teh fic. bows and steps off stage

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter Three

Truth

I saw his crimson eyes searching between me, Trish and Leslie, and finally I composed myself and stepped out from between them, shooting him a less then friendly look.

"Ya, what do you want?" I asked, challenging him with my eyes. His asking for my alias wasn't a mere coincidence, and I had the sneaking suspicion that it had to do with my mistake earlier.

Goddamn the little bastard for messing with things that didn't concern him.

"Get in." He demanded, and I sighed, waving goodbye to my 'friends' as I stepped into the car and plopped into the drivers seat. A few moments of tension-filled silence came before he pulled over, and parked the car. It was only then I dared speak.

"So what do you want?" I asked in a false cheery voice.

"Sekka, I know it's you." He answered swiftly, making my blood run cold. Kuso! "You don't have to hide." Glaring as heavily as humanly possible I reached to my head and pulled off the blond wig, letting my dark brown hair tumble over my shoulders to my mid-back.

I sighed.

Looks like it was time for business as usual.

Without hesitation I leaned over to him, letting my tongue tease the skin of his neck. At least he was good looking for a change.

"What are you doing?" He asked, seemingly confused by my behavior.

Fucking dumbass.

You don't pick up a whore to take them for a cruise, you pick them up for sex. What the hell was with this guy? Didn't he have a clue about the real world at all?

"This is what you want, ne?" I murmured against his neck before his arm came out and pushed me away from him. My back hit the window, sending a dull pain through my body, but I ignored it. I was more confused to worry myself about something like pain.

"What are you doing?" He repeated, his stern eyes raking over my form. But it wasn't the rake that most men gave me, undressing me with their eyes, it was something different from that, but I didn't know how. I just simply knew.

"My job." I spat out coldly. "What the fuck do you think I'm doing you fucking dumbass?" He didn't get mad like I expected, just simply ignored what I had said, instead occupying himself with sifting the gears in the car and pulling away from the side of the road. "Where are you taking me!?" I demanded, ad as much as I hated to admit it, I was scared.

"Home." He replied simply, making me grit my teeth in frustration. Couldn't I get a damned straight answer for once?

"I have a home already."

"I know that." He answered. "But I also know that I if I drop you off there, you'll just go back to selling yourself that minute I leave."

"Uh, ya, pretty much." I answered sarcastically. "And last time I checked, it was MY fucking choice, now let me out!"

"Is it really your choice?" He asked softly, his eyes softening so that that part of them that I had only seen when I got out of the car with Tristan - the same that made me believe that was in just as much as pain as I was somewhere inside. "Or are you forced?"

"Look, hotshot." I snapped. "No-one's forcing me onto the streets, I go on my own, alright. So why don't you mind your own business, and leave me the hell alone. Besides, isn't there some social law against talking to me?"

"There probably is." He responded. "But at the moment, that doesn't concern me. What concerns me is why your out there selling yourself like that. It's obvious that you don't like it, so why?"

"Why? Here's a why question." A shot back heatedly. "Why aren't you picking up the other two that I was with huh? Why me? Because you pity me? Well pity them, I don't need it!"

"Because I see you everyday." He returned quietly. "I was there when you had a puddle of blood under your arm in the cafeteria, I see that look in your eyes Sekka. You hate the world for some reason or another, and I have a good idea why. You may not be forced on the streets by an outside force, but you are forced." Maybe in another place, at another time long in the past I might have listened to him, take his, do I dare call it kindness? No, I think not. What about concern? Yes, I'll call it that. Take his concern for what it was worth, but now, I was too scarred, too weather beaten to take anything from any man, other then money for my body.

And I hated that fact, hated the fact that he still haunted me, even now. He wouldn't let me trust anyone like I had trusted him, like I had loved him.

No, I wouldn't let anyone in, even if they know who I was and what I was.

Not again, never.

"Oh great." I muttered sarcastically under my breath. "A fucking stalker."

"Sekka listen to me." He began. "Women shouldn't be treated this way, by anyone. They shouldn't have to do what your doing. I want to help you if you would just-" At this, all of what was left of my resolve left me, and I couldn't stop myself from what I said next.

"Listen! I don't need your help, nor want your help. If your looking for some whimpering pathetic little doll that will cry in your arms, go to Tea!" I yelled before taking a breath and continuing my tirade. "Because I won't. I won't let you save me, because I can't be! Now go home, and forget you ever met me, forget whatever you've seen or heard about me, and let me live my life! Don't ever come near me again, you got that, DON'T EVER COME NEAR ME AGAIN!" Without waiting for a response I turned my back to him and threw the car door open. The road whipped below me, and I turned back to give him one more heartfelt glare before jumping.

Stupid as it may have been, it seemed the only way that I was going to escape him at the moment.

I hit the cement and let out a cry of pain as I felt the rubble pierce my palms and leave scratches on my arms and legs, but it was worth it in my mind. Picking myself up I quickly removed my high heels, as it would make it incredibly hard to run without breaking my ankle, and ran as fast I could.

I didn't have to look back to know that he had stopped the car and was trying to catch me.

Why couldn't he just leave me alone? Why couldn't the world just leave me too live my life? Hadn't it done enough to me already?

I stumbled and nearly went down, but caught myself and plunged on. I could hear his shouts behind me, only making me more frantic to get away. I pushed through the streets, not caring if I ran into people at the moment. Some cursed at me, others just glared, but they were a blur.

I don't know how I ran, pushing and shoving through the bustling streets of Tokyo city, but finally I figured that I had lost him, as I couldn't hear his shouts any longer. Ducking into an alley I leaned against the wall, every last once of energy I possessed gone.

I couldn't even hold myself up anymore, and slumped to the ground.

It was stupid to have run, and I knew that. My body didn't have good nutrition, nor enough carbs or calories to sustain me well, and I didn't have a lot of energy to begin with.

I slammed my hand against the wall a berated myself for my stupidity, for my mistakes, and most of all, for being born.

I wasn't meant for this world, and never had been.

My palms stung from the cuts on them, as well as my limbs, but I didn't care at the moment.

I was too tired to care about anything, least of all the fact that I was hungry, and cold, and in pain. I closed my eyes and ignored the cool feeling of the stone that I leaned on.

The bustling of the streets filled my ears, but it seemed distant and far away into another world all together, and the last thing I remembered before sleep claimed me was an image of Yami's face and his eyes that made me wonder if maybe I had been wrong about him from the start.

(A/N: I was going to end it there, but I would have been less then three pages and you people deserve way more then that, so I decided to make it longer )

Birds.

Birds singing.

And what was this strange warmth on my eyes?

And this light?

Where was I?

Slowly my eyes opened, and instantly my hands flew up to shield my eyes from the bright sun. I blinked, wondering why I was on the streets before last nights events came flooding back to me, and I groaned before the smell of food made me look down.

There was a plate of pancakes and a coffee from a nearby diner placed beside me, and instantly I felt a pang of anger.

What the hell did these people think I was? A fucking homeless? But then again, people that have a home don't usually sleep in an alley.

I glared down at the food, my hunger battling against my pride. It was obvious which won and I eagerly scooped up the food, shoveling it into my mouth as if I had eaten in days, and drank the now lukewarm coffee with just as much zeal.

Swallowing down my last mouthful of pancake, washing it down with a hearty sip of coffee, I stood up and took in my surroundings, trying to figure out where I was. When I had been running, I hadn't exactly stopped to think where I was going.

After a few moments I stepped onto the streets and began walking in what I hoped was the right direction, the food haven gave me new energy.

Some of the people I passed gave me odd looks, no doubt from the whorish clothing I wore, some passerby's yelled insults out their car windows, and some just plain pretended I didn't exist, but none of that mattered to me.

What mattered was that I got home and changed into something appropriate and got my ass to school.

School.

Fear filled me at the thought as I ran up the stairs of the apartment building two at a time, and entered my apartment.

Yami would be there, no doubt, and I didn't exactly want to go, but what other choice did I have?

If I stayed home, that would create more rumors, and make me fall further behind then I already was, which was far. Groaning I stripped off my clothes and glanced in the full length mirror of my bathroom. I gazed at myself for a moment, taking in my appearance that told me just how much pain I was actually in.

My ribcage stuck out drastically, so that you could see every last one, the skin under my eyes was translucent, and my arms were covered with scars and new cuts alike.

My eyes traveled up my shoulder where my hand blocked the scar that I knew would be there, and unconsciously, my grip tightened.

I didn't even notice until I felt something warm trail down my collarbone. I pulled my hand back and discovered that there were thin trails of blood running from half moon cuts where my nails had dug into my flesh.

Turning away from the mirror I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water in rivulets over my skin. I suppose the shower was meant to relax me, but for some reason it didn't. My mind was back in the mirror, to my hand gripping over what I had refused to look at for years, afraid that if I did, the memories of how I had earned that scar would return as strongly as ever.

He may have left his physical mark on me, but I, couldn't, wouldn't let him back into my soul.

Stepping out from under the shower head I stepped out of the shower and dressed myself in what I called my school clothes that actually covered my -in opinion- ugly body instead of flaunting it like the slut I was.

My way to school was slow, with me trying to draw out the moment I would have to go in for as long as I could, but sadly, I couldn't prolong it forever.

School was already in session obviously, but I still made it time for second period, which surprised me, seeing as I never made it time for second.

Walking into the class I slumped into my seat at the back and tried to focus on the lesson being given, as hard as it was when all my mind wanted to do was relive my pain for me, but somehow I made it into lunch with yelling at anyone, which was a nice change of pace.

As usual, I didn't eat lunch, but I was full from this mornings charity, so for once I wasn't being tortured by the smells of food. Instead I occupied my time with writing as I usually did. It was this way I got out most of my anger, hate, fear, doubt and loathing.

But despite that, I still felt the strong need to cut on most days - even good ones.

The bell rang, or must have, but I didn't hear it, I was so absorbed in my own world. It wasn't until I noticed the odd silence in the cafeteria that I realized I was late. Sighing I sat up and hurried to my locker to gather my things for art.

I didn't even hear the approaching footsteps until a arm shot out beside my locker. I closed my eyes, mentally raying for some kind of strength as I opened them again. I didn't even need to look up to know that it was Yami.

"Didn't I tell you to stay the fuck away from me?" I snapped, grabbing my art portfolio without looking up at him.

"I can't do that." He answered gruffly. "Not while your out selling your heart."

"Oh don't start with that shit!" I growled, rolling my eyes. "I don't have a heart to sell, besides, if I did, I would have sold it long ago. All they want is my body, so let the little bastards have it."

"Forgive me." I turned around to face him, confused by his last statement, but I didn't see his hand coming towards me until it was too late.

The crack of his hand coming in contact with my cheek filled the silence of the empty hall. I gasped, my hand flying towards my cheek which didn't hurt as much I thought it would, but I was still shocked by his action.

"That hurt didn't it?" He asked, his face firm, but not angry, making me wonder what the hell he had did that for. "Are you surprised Sekka? Looks like your not an object after all. All this talk about your heart and your body, stop talking about yourself like your merchandise! I'm sorry I had to hit you, but you've had worse I'm sure." At this his eyes darkened and he held out his hand.

I took it slowly and he pulled me to my feet before turning away down the hall.

My heart was pounding in my chest and I thought about what he said.

It was true that I had been slapped much worse then the little tap he had given me.

Was I an object? I suppose it was to those men. An object for men to use for their own pleasures, even it hurt me, they didn't care, just plunged on as if I my torso wasn't even there.

I didn't realize had I started crying until I felt the warmth course over my cheeks.

I stopped, catching one of the droplets on my knuckle and stared down at it with amazement.

I hadn't cried in years, since I had been fourteen to be exact. What was wrong with me? Why was I suddenly crying now? It wasn't from the pain that had disappeared seconds after I had felt it.

Then the answer came to me.

I knew he was right - or my heart, the heart that I fought so hard to bury, knew he was right even when I mind didn't want to.

Closing my eyes I let my cheeks which hadn't felt the warmth of tears for ages absorb the droplets falling from my eyelids.

I felt my own lips form the words before I knew they had been said, and they came out I barely more then a cracked whispered.

"Your right."

A/N:

There we go, 5 ½ pages for ya'll. Hope it was up to your standards. I know that I may seem to be going a little slow, but trust me, it's going just the way I want it to for future twists and angst that I have planned for later on what they are, I can't tell you because I wouldn't be fun if I did. evil grin But I hope you'll like it. Anyways, ya'll know the drill, review, review, review! I want to hear your guys thoughts, ideas, and predictions for this fic, they really get me inspired to write! Sometimes if I'm extra inspired, I'll even update earlier then the usually 2 weeks. I would have done it this week, but I didn't get the chapter done until last night so...... ya. Anyways, Ja!


	4. Not Again

Disclaimer: Don't own YGO, yadda, yadda, yadda.

A/N: OMG! I can't believe I eighteen reviews already! This is the best one of my fics have ever done! I know I'm updating early, by rights I shouldn't have this up until Thursday, but damn it you guys deserve an early update! Hell, if this keeps up I just might be updating every other day until writers block rears it's ugly head. Anyways, time to send out shouts to all you wonderful reviewers!

loathed-wolf-Spirit: Don't sweat the Open My Eyes thing, really! Anyways, I understand about not wanting to be bothered when I'm reading, sometimes my parents do it. Grrrrrrrr anyways hope to hear from you soon!

Ralphiere: Terrifying? Ok then. I see her as more disturbed, but i suppose to some it would be terrifying. Neways, thanks for the reviews, they really get me in the mood to write! Thanks for teh realism comment though, after all, i have had some hard times, not selling myself, but otehr things.

The Summer Stars: Thanks for the grammer thing, I'll work on that! Anyways, i don't mind if you stalk me, just don't spy on me in the showers lol, j/k! Anways, here's the update, hope you like it!

Cymoril Avalon: Ya, having smack you then hold ya would be nice! But he doesn't hold her quite yet.......... smirks. Anways, i hope you don't have to devour my soul now.......... i kinda need it to live. lol!

Deceptive-Innocence: Shut up! It's my fic and i'll do what i like sticks out tongue Anyways, here's the damn next chapter so be grateful!

Serpent-Vampfreak: Don't we all hate life at some point? Granted some more then others, sometimes i just want to die, but i have a great friend who helps me. (See above to find out who lol) Anyways i want ya to add me to your msn if you have it, you seem really interesting and I think it would great to talk to you. Neways, here's your update!

Oh, and just a quick warning for this chapter, there are going to be mature scenes, so be warned.

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter Four

Not Again

Lying in bed that night, it all made sense, it was all so perfectly clear to me, that as I stared up at the cracked ceiling of my apartment I wondered why I had never seen it before.

The sudden realization and true perception of Yami's words seemed to have finally sunk into my brainwashed mind. And as weird as it sounded even to myself, I was grateful to him for opening my eyes. Most women would be angry and resentful of him slapping her, but I was glad that he had done it.

Maybe it was what I needed to finally open my eyes, and it seemed to ironic to me that the one person I had made a mistake with, had been the one to finally make me see what I was really doing. It seemed so strange that the one person I loathed the most had done this one kind for me without even knowing what he was really doing.

I had received kindness from the one person I thought would've hated me the most, simply for existing. And yet, maybe I been wrong about him, his image, his life. After all, wasn't it in him that I had seen that one glimpse of myself?

I didn't go onto the streets that night, and I vowed that I wouldn't anymore.

I would find some other way to live other then on the streets, working as a whore. No, that chapter I vowed would be closed, and never opened again.

Slowly, very slowly, I felt some of the bricks in my walls come loose from their mold. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I trusted him or liked him, but I respected him in the sense that I felt that I owed at least something.

Stepping out of bed I glanced at the time.

11:01

Hmm, I would have been on the streets by now. And I almost habitually ran towards my closet worried about how I would be late. I didn't, but I laughed at the thought.

I wanted to thank him at least, but I wondered if it would be too late to do so. It probably wasn't, after all, he was 19, same as me.

Reaching my final decision I threw on the only coat I owned, which was a black leather trench, and stepped into the chilly air. For once, it felt good to be on these streets where my hair wasn't piled under some wig, but instead flowing freely on the wind.

I wasn't quite sure where he lived, but I just headed for the rich part of town, and decided to go from there. It felt so odd, and I'll admit a bit frightening to be heading to his home, not to work for him, but to thank him.

I hadn't thanked anyone in years, and it seemed that my mouth might freeze if I tried to push those words past my lips. But I had to try, had to give him back something.

As I walked, my mind wondered back to the problem that first compelled my to the streets. How was I going to pay my rent? I didn't have a job and I was fairly sure that wouldn't be able to get a good paying one. With some luck I could minimum wage working at a café or some stupid thing.

The honk of a horn tore me from my thoughts and a car pulled up beside me. From the windows I could see that there were about four boys in it.

Great. Just what I fucking needed at the moment - former customers coming to pay a social call.

"Hey ho." One yelled from the drivers seat. "Get in, we want some fun!" At this he waved a five dollar bill offensively out the window. I growl rose in my throat and I glared heavily at the one with the bill.

"I'm not available." I said through clenched teeth. "Go find your fun somewhere else, little boys."

"But you were available before." He snarled. "Now get in the car bitch."

"Didn't you fucking retarded pieces of shit here me?" I seethed at the males. "Fuck off."

"Hey man, don't let that whore talk to you like that." One of his friends said in his ear. "Let's teach that little slut her place."

Oh shit.

The doors of the cars opened and they steeped out into the street, glaring heavily at me, and by the looks of it, quite drunk at that. They were tall, and easily out weighed me by at least a good hundred and twenty pounds, and they were muscular to boot.

Doing the only thing that seemed natural at the moment I took off running.

I didn't know what they would do to me if they caught me, and I didn't wan to think about it. Would they rape me? Beat me? If they did, it certainly wouldn't be the first time I had been raped or beat, but I wasn't about to lay down and let it happen again.

I could hear their shouts behind me, and I ran even faster, pushing my poorly treated body to it's absolute limits. I wasn't watching where I was going, the panic in my body driving me into carelessness. My foot caught on something that I would later learn was a rather piece of cement, what the hell it was doing on the street I would never know, but I let out a small shout as I felt myself going down.

My body hit the cement, my arm getting most the impact, and I groaned at the pain. I could hear their shouts more clearly now, and I felt tears prick the corners of the eyes as I realized that I had lost the chase. I struggled to get up, but they had surrounded me before I could.

"There's the little bitch." The one who had waved the bill at me snarled, but it came out slowly and with difficulty due to the alcohol in his system. "Should we have some fun with her?"

"Definitely." Another said. "Stupid bitch slut to blow us off." He leaned down and grabbed my arms roughly pulling me up.

"Where should we take her? We can't take her back to the car."

"No shit Sherlock." The other sneered.

"Just let me go!" I yelled, struggling against them. A hard slap across my face silenced me, and my eyes watered from the pain.

"Shut up bitch, this your fucking job." The first one growled. "Well take her here." And before I knew what was going on, I was being dragged into an secluded alleyway. "Ya, this'll do nicely."

"Stop!" I yelled, near to the point of sobbing, but I wouldn't make it more enjoyable for them, wouldn't let them see my weakness or fear. "Just leave me alone!" But they ignored my cries.

"Get her clothes off." The third one's hand came out, tearing my coat off before he went for my top. I tried to fight him off, but he full out punched me in the face to silence me. I felt the material of my top come loose, exposing my bra and the soft curves of my breasts to them.

"Just as nice as I remember them." He sneered, taking one and cupping it in his hands in an action that would have made my skin crawl if I hadn't been so terrified. They quickly rid me of the rest of my clothing, leaving me naked under the moonlight.

"Stop!" But they didn't listen to me, but at least they didn't hit me again. Instead, the fourth grabbed my arm, flipping it over so that he could see the scars that wove their pattern over my flesh.

"Someone's been a bad girl." He chided drunkenly. "There's more there then when I fucked you the last time." I tried to push his hand away, but the other three restrained me. "Maybe we should make a few more ne?"

My eyes widened as he pulled out a knife from his pocket and held it to my thigh. I would have screamed if it hadn't been for the rough hand covering my mouth. Finally, I let the fear take me over, and small teardrops fell from my eyes.

"Come on man, do it!" The other encouraged, and I could hear the excitement in his voice. "I'll make one too." He laughed and grabbed my wrist, lightening a cigarette and taking a puff.

"Alright then." I screamed against his hand as the knife came down my thigh, leaving a gash that started bleeding instantly, the red fluid pooling to the ground.

Oh please God no.

Just let it be over! Just let it end!

I screamed these words over and over in my mind as the second burned my wrist with his cigarette, leaving a perfect burn circle on the inside of my wrist. The pain was unlike anything I had ever felt before, save for the emotional pain that I held inside.

And this was unlike any of the other times when I had been raped. No, this was much more brutal and painful and I screamed again and again against the hand of the one who held me.

The first one undid his pants and I closed my eyes against what was happening, hoping that I could blot it out somehow. But I couldn't blot out the feeling as he pushed into me, reckless and heedless of the pain that it caused.

One by one they raped me, switching roles so that I was always held at bay. And as it happened I screamed in my mind for someone to come and help and me. I didn't care who it was, hell, I would have been glad to see my mother at this point.

I don't know how long it lasted or many times they took me, all I knew is that I wanted it to either end, or for them to kill me and end it that way.

I didn't care as long as it stopped.

Finally at some point I remember the hands that held me letting me go, and them whispering something in my ear.

Their footsteps leaving were the last things I remember before I passed out.

A/N:

I bet you thought Yami was going to save her ne? Sorry, not this time. However, he does make an appearance in the next chapter. Anyways, please review if you want to find out what happens next. If I get the same reaction that I is before this update shall ne quick indeed. Neways, Ja for now!


	5. Vision In A Dream

Disclaimer: Do I fucking look like someone who owns YGO?

A/N: Well here we are after that rather......dark previous chapter. What I can I say, I like writing angst Rubs back of head nervously Anywho, I like to use symbolism in my fics, as you'll find out in this chapter. Hey, here's an idea, anyone who can guess what the symbolism means gets the next chapter dedicated to them, (minus deceptive-innocence who already knows) and thanks again for all your great reviews! They really help me get off my ass and write, so here's the shout outs!

Cymoril Avalon: Bakura? Bakura doesn't make an appearence in this fic. Srry to any Bakura fans out there. Forced? Well............. i didn't thik it was and i'm just too busy to go back over some things. Thanks for pointing that out though! P.S. I need my soul to live and finish this fic.

loathed wolf spirit: Lol, thanks for the encouragement, and don't mind Deceptive-Innocence... she's my best friend and lives to annoy me, plus she was joking............ I think. Anyways, ya, I was thinking about having Yami save her but them I'm like hmmm............. nah, I think I'll fuck my character over. What can I say? I'm evil.

The Summer Stars: Ya, srry but there's no Yami in this chap because I revised it because the first version was crap so ya............. but he'll be in the next one i promise! Anyways yes, it was bad for her, but it all plays it's role in the end, and I totally agree with what you muttered about men under your breath... they should all go to the shadow realm. Neways, hope ya liek this chap!

Ralphiere: Fluffy? #laughs# Does this story looks like it's going to go fluffy? #laughs again# No, I plan on keeping it dark, although it does lighten up a little bit but then well........... you'll just have to wait and see Evil grin thanks for the review and i hope you like this chapter.

suicide-greeting: grins that's the beauty of twists. You make it seem liek one things going to happen and then change it! Well, here's the update, enjoy it. Oh, and cool name by the way, wait, have I said that before?

serpent-vampfreak: Ya, it would have been odd ne? You have msn? Cool! Ya, I'll make sure to accept you onto my contacts, although I'm not on alot because I can only use msn at my friends house because I'm a poor internet and cableless freak so ya. Neways, here's the next chapter.

Wheeew #wipes forehead# Noe that that's over with, hope ya'll like this chapter!

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter Five

Vision In A Dream

What was this, inside my mind?

Singing?

But who was it?

My body seemed to float as I stood up, following the sound of the voice through the dark halls, somehow knowing my way through the suffocating darkness that I couldn't even see my own hand in. it seemed I had walked forever until I reached a door.

How I knew there was a door there I didn't know, my hand reached up of it's own accord, pulling the handle that was cloaked in the blackness. A creak sound as it opened, and instantly my hands rose to shield my eyes from the blinding light.

At least until I realized that it caused my absolutely pain, only from within my heart that was suddenly filled with a great sadness, although I knew not why.

Blinking I stepped into the room, the voice raising in volume the closer I got, but I couldn't make the words although I felt as if I should know them well.

Then the possessor of the voice came into my range of vision and I gasped.

A little girl, no more the 7, with my dark brown hair and aqua eyes. She seemed unaware of me, as if she was in her own world entirely, playing in the sandbox that was filled with black sand, and it was only when my hand reached out to touch her small shoulder that she looked up at me.

"Are you here to play with me?" She asked cutely, her eyes brightening from their previous dull shine to the sparkle of a small child's hope before they dulled again as she looked down. "All the other kids went away a long time ago." Numbly I nodded my head, my heart going out to this little girl who looked so much like myself.

And it was strange that the room was entirely white, the sand being the only black in the entire room that seemed to stretch on forever.

I smiled as I bent down beside her, placing my hands in the oddly colored sand.

A small cry escaped my lips and I instantly pulled my hands back from the burning heat. How the hell could she stand it? Almost as in answer to my question she looked up at me, her aqua gaze locking with my own.

"I know it's a little hot at first, but you get used to it, see?" She lifted her hands, revealing burn marks all over them, but that's not what drew my attention to most - it was the scar marks on her arms, looking almost as if she had made them herself, the way I did.

Shaking my head to clear the thoughts I turned back to the small girl.

"Then why don't you leave if it hurts?"

"Because I can't." She replied sadly. "She won't let me."

"She? She who?" Saying nothing, but showing an obvious look of discomfort she pointed towards what I could only assume was a corner in the vast room, and my gaze followed her hand until it locked onto the figure that loomed just in sight.

If I had had something in my hands, it surely would have dropped to the ground in shock.

This girl..........this women....... She looked exactly like me!

But her eyes......... her eyes, and hair weren't mine.

Her eyes were black and cold, showing nothing in their depths, her hair matching the dark hues, and from what I could tell, there was blood..........

Blood dripping from her arm onto the white floor (if it could be called that) below, making a dark puddle, while her other hand held a knife stained with long dried blood, and her clothing was rather........ revealing.

"She's the one that made these." The girl said, openly showing me the slash marks on her arms. Then before I knew what was happening, the little girl began to slip farther and father away me, the previously white room falling into darkness.

"No!" I yelled, trying to reach for the girl, trying to save her from what I knew loomed in the shadows, but my hand slipped right through hers.

"Help!" She sobbed, reaching for me, but again it failed.

"No!"

The sound of the scream awoke me, making me bolt straight up, my eyes searching wildly around before I realized the scream had been my own.

Closing my eyes I leaned back, expecting to hit the semi-softness of my bed in my half-awake state, but instead I hit hard concrete, making dots flutter across my vision before it cleared, last nights events rushing into my memory with a force almost as brutal as the way they had treated me.

I looked down, and groaned at seeing my ripped clothing that covered nothing at all, making me wonder who would had seen me. After a second thought, I decided that probably no-one seeing as I had been draped behind a dumpster.

How long had I been out?

It was still nightfall which made me believe that it couldn't have been more then an hour, two at the most. I wanted to cry, I really did, but I wouldn't.

Not again, not ever would I cry over a male. I was done with that, done with all of them.

Shaking my head I tried to chase the thoughts away, and it worked, seeing as something else entirely replaced it.

The dream.

What was it all about? What did it mean?

I knew that all dreams meant something, but I didn't understand this one in the least. The girl that had looked me with the black hair and eyes, her wrists bleeding, holding the knife that had either cut the child or herself.

I didn't make sense.

In my thoughts I hadn't realized that I was shaking from the cold until I heard the sound of my own teeth chattering.

A sudden feeling of hopelessness washed over me as I realized that I couldn't very well walk on the street with the clothing I had, not to mention the soreness in my thigh reminded me of the slash that I had received.

Bracing myself for the worst I looked down.

A long gash from my thigh to my knee occupied the space, as well as the rest of my leg was covered in dried flaky blood. I sudden urge to tear open the wound again coursed through my mind but I fought it back. Doing that would just make it harder to get back home.

Slowly I reached for my forgotten trench coat and slung it over myself, using it to cover my near nakedness as I used the dumpster to pull myself up.

A cry of pain escaped my lips as I felt the gaping wound reopen slightly, slipping a trail of blood down my leg for the second time that night. Needless to say, I fell back to the ground. The pain in my leg was great, but nothing compared to what was going on inside of me.

I had allowed myself to be used by a man in a way that I had sworn after the fifth time would never happen again, and yet here I was - still a whore. So many emotions stirred through my mind that I wanted to cry, scream, break things and kill myself all at the same time.

I hated this, this human weakness, rendering me so breakable and helpless like this. But I was determined to get out of here. I had learned young that this world doesn't give a shit about your feelings or your pain, and that nobody in this world is going to help you but yourself.

I could do this if I just ignored the pain, after all, I wasn't that far away from my home. Throwing the trench coat over myself (I was thankful that came past my knees), I braced myself and made another attempt at standing.

This one was successful, albeit painful, but I didn't let it stop me. I had to get out of here before........

A lump formed in my throat and I forced myself to swallow it down. I was shaking again, but I didn't know if it was from the cold, or from fear.

Leaning my weight against the cold metal of the dumpster I heaved a sigh that was closer to a sob then I would have liked to admit, but I fought against it. Like I said before, I would never, ever, cry over a man again.

I was done with being used, with being fucked and hurt.

At that thought my hand rubbed my inner wrist where the one male's cigarette had burned it. That scar was never going to fade, but what did it matter? One more scar on my already badly scarred body, I was ugly anyway.

My trip home was slow and painful, also earning me some odd looks and I must have looked like hell with my pronounced limp. Some offered help, but I pushed them away. Never again would I accept fucking help, besides, I have a feeling that my willpower was the only thing that got me home to begin with.

I bit back a cry as cleaned the wound with warm water, letting the trails of blood wash down the drain. I didn't have any bandages so I compromised by ripping one of my towels in half and using it as a wrap, and it was only then I allowed myself to collapse into my bed.

I tried as hard as I could to force down the memories of what they had done to me mere hours ago, but it refused to recede, preferring to play again and again as if a silent film reel was engaged in a never ending premiere.

You'd think I would have been used to this now, after having been raped by five different men if you included the four tonight as one.

God, how I wanted to die.

More then anything I wanted the hands of death to bestow it's gentle touch and rid me of this world that was so cold and uncaring.

But more then anything I hated myself for my weakness, and I could hear the razors call from the bathroom. And like a sailor to a siren's call, I had no choice but to obey.

Picking up the small object I ran it across my flesh, watching with renewed rapture as the wound split, revealing my white skin to the world before it filled with crimson tears that poured from the wound in a steady stream.

To others it may have been frightening, but to me, it held a morbid beauty that I couldn't even begin to describe. But beautiful as it was, it didn't lift the heavy weight in my chest, and before I knew what was happening, tears were streaming down my face.

But it wasn't like when I was little, when I had a friend to wipe them away.

No, this time, I was truly alone.

Because for me, there was no 'light at the end of the tunnel' no 'light within the darkness', only darkness itself to consume what was left of my heart.

Well, let it die.

Maybe I would die with it.

The wound stopped bleeding and I glared down at it before raising the blade and making another. I don't know how it happened, but the next moment, or so it seemed, my entire arm was hacked, blood pouring from the wounds as if in a river of scarlet.

But I didn't care.

I was too damn broken to care.

And it seemed that life had once again ripped away my hope. Just when I believed that I could amount to something......... they had to come along and rip away every shred of belief. And I wanted to scream..... but no sound came out my lips, instead I held it in as always, even as the blood continued to flow.

But it didn't concern me.

The bleeding of my body would stop.

But the bleeding of my heart......

The only that would stop was if I was dead.

A/N:

Well, there we have it, four and ¼ pages long. Could have been a bit longer, but hey....... I was a little stuck with this chapter because I wasn't sure if Yami should find her..... but I decided on this instead. Will Sekka try to kill herself? Smirks Well, you'll just have to wait and see, but Yami makes an appearance in the next chapter, and there might be a clash...... I'm not sure yet.

Anyways, remember about my little contest so to speak...... whoever correctly picks up on what the dream was supposed to represent, or whoever is the closest (besides Deceptive-Innocence) gets the next chap dedicated to them! So just clicky that little review button down there and tell me what ya think!


	6. The Devil's Adversary

Disclaimer: Don't own YGO, or the lyrics to 'World So Cold' by Mudvyane either. The only thing I own is Sekka.

A/N: Whelps, here I am again with a brand new chapter for ya'll! Ok, first off, the contest. Nearly everyone was almost exact to the truth, or well on their way, but I have to say that it was a tie between suicide-greeting and serpent-vampfreak, they was the closest, so this chapter's for them! The reason I'm tying because I couldn't figure out who was closer of the two. To everyone else # Hands out cookies # Anyways, shout-outs:

Cymoril Avalon: Yami? Of course not, though it does represent the darkness in her, but not in the form of a seperate existance. Bakura-kun? Nope, srry...... and even if I did add Bakura, you would just end up hating his role anyway. And as far as her killing herself........ well your wrong and right at the same time, you'll see what I mean later. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The Summer Stars: Your guess was actually really close to the truth, but suicide-greeting had more detail........ anyways, I hope this chapter is too your liking.

suicide-greeting: Your guess was almost dead on! Good for you, I didn't many people would get it, but hey. Here's your chapter, I really hope you enjoy it, and thanks for saying taht the dream writing was beautiful.

Deceptive-Innocence: Read the chapter and find out! Anyways, I'm glad you like the title for this fic and it becomes apparant why I titled it that later on.

serpent-vampfreak: You got it to! Wow, good for you! Here's your quick update, I really hope you like it!

loathed wolf spirit: Didn't have any ideas for the dream ne? Don't worry about it, if you want a good idea go read suicide-greeting's and serpent-vampfreak's reviews. Anyways, Sekka does have a strong will, but she's broken at the time, I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but I hope you like this chapter all the same.

Sakura Trees: Glad you like the fic so far, and cool name change. Not much else to say except taht you haven't been on msn in forever, but then again.............. neither have I, lol.

Woodstock500: Hey! A new reviewer, I always love to see you guys! I'm happy you like the fic so far and that it keeps you interested, which is a thing good because my updates come pretty fast. Anywho, hope you like my latest installment and feel free to check out my other fics.

Well, with all that said, here's the chapter.

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter Six

The Devil's Adversary

For five days I didn't leave the semi-safety of my bed. Every once in awhile I would hear someone knocking on my door, but I refused to get up even for that.

My leg hurt, and my arm was gashed, but that was nothing compared to the nightmares I endured in what have been a sweet oblivion........ but not me. For he, and them returned to me in my sleep, cutting, slashing, raping.......

**_When passion's lost and all the trust is gone_**

**_Way too far, for way too long_**

**_Children crying, cast out and neglected_**

**_Only in a World so cold, only in a World this cold_**

I was never at peace, no matter how much I longed for it.

But more then peace, I longed for death. An escape from this cruel world, but it was fear that held me back in a place that not even my hatred and depression could push me over it's edge.

In a way, I wished someone would help me, pull out of myself and show me a better way, but I knew no-one ever could. The one person that had, my best friend as a child, was dead and buried at the age 12, and now I was alone, damned with a prime reservation in hell, and no amount of so-called 'redemption' was going to change that fact.

**_Hold the hand of your best friend_**

**_Look into their eyes_**

**_Then watch them drift away_**

There was so such priest that could bring a hell-bound whore like me into heaven, and I didn't expect to be allowed in. I wouldn't belong there, so full of hate and sadness.

_**Some might say, we've done the wrong things**_

_**For way too long, for way too long**_

And, as I watched the sunrise on the dawn of the sixth day, I decided that I felt strong enough to go back to school. The slash on my leg still throbbed, but that pain could be easily ignored. I took a shower, the water so hot that it burned my skin, but I didn't care - if anything, I found peace in it.

And as the water ran over my skin, the memory of my dream returned, making me shudder despite the burning rivers.

**_Fever inside the storm_**

**_So I'm turning away_**

**_Away from the name (Calling your names)_**

**_Away from the stones (Throw sticks and stones)_**

That girl.........

She resembled me in so many ways that it was frightening, and the older one, the one with the dark hair and eyes.......

She seemed so cold, so unfeeling, and she had cut not only herself but the child as well. And again, I asked myself what it all meant, but again no answers came, so I stepped out of the shower and dressed in what little I had seeing as one pair of clothes had been ripped when they had........

**_'Cause I'm through mending the wounds of us_**

**_Keep your thorns_**

**_'Cause I'm running away_**

No!

I wasn't going to think about it anymore. I wasn't the first time that it happened and it wouldn't be the last, and I would just have to live with it, the way I learned to live with all the other fucking shit that I had dealt with in my life.

**_Away from the games (Fucking head games)_**

**_Away from the space (Hate this head space)_**

**_The circumstances of a World so cold_**

I was alone and I knew it, and I would have to survive through these days even if it killed me, which it just might. Memories flooded my vision, memories of the customers, the rapes, and what had driven me onto the streets in the beginning.

Him.

And for what? Nearly nothing at all.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to forget him for the moment.

Forget the way his steely gray eyes always glared at me when he was drunk or high- usually the latter, and how his dark hair fell into his face making him look.........

**_Burning whispers, remind me of the days_**

**_I was left alone, in a World this cold_**

**_Guilty of the same things, provoked by the cause_**

**_I've left alone, in a World so cold_**

My eyes snapped open and I mentally shook myself, willing myself to forget. I opened the door and came face-to-face with my landlord, looking less then pleased.

"So, your alive are you." She stated, looking me over with obvious dislike.

"Hai." I answered swiftly. "What do you want?"

**_Fever inside the storm_**

**_So I'm turning away_**

"You rent." She replied coolly. "Your behind again, by two months!" I bit my lip and nodded quickly. I hadn't been working for a few days and it had completely devastated my income.

"Yes." I answered. "I'll get it to you as soon as possible."

"You have until the end of the week." She snapped and walked off, leaving me to feel as it a lead weight was in my stomach.

**_Away from the name (Calling your names)_**

**_Away from the stones (Throw sticks and stones)_**

**_'Cause I'm through mending the wounds of us_**

**_Keep your thorns_**

How was I going to get nearly $600 dollars in two days? Unless I went back to selling myself....... I could make that in two nights if I upped the price of myself.........

I nearly wanted to hit myself for daring to think such a thing. I was done with that! Done!

I was done with coming home after selling myself every night to collapse on my bed, sore with their mistreatment with a broken soul and occasionally, on really bad nights, a broken body as well.

I would make it some other way......... somehow..........

**_'Cause I'm running away_**

**_Away from the games (Fucking head games)_**

**_Away from the space (Hate this head space)_**

**_The circumstances of a World so cold_**

Closing my eyes I sent out a silent request for strength before I dared open them again and step into the busy streets of Tokyo, looking somewhat nervous as visions of their pounding members into my unwilling body racked my brain, and the limp in my leg didn't help me to forget, but I made it to school none the less.

I mapped my usual route to my locker, gathered my things, and headed to class like anyone else. I would have said that the day was boring and uneventful, if it hadn't been for the period after lunch.

I groaned as I reached my locker, glad that the lunch bell had finally, even if I didn't have a lunch to eat. I had gotten used to the hunger cramps and the constant nagging of hunger itself and I come to acknowledge it as my normal state as I was content just to read a book during my free time.

When it closer to class, I went back to my locker and began to undo the lock when the feeling of eyes on me burned into my side and I had to look up to satisfy my curiosity. Aqua rose to meet crimson in a silent clash between us, neither refusing to back down.

Then his ruby gaze dropped to my arm and I blinked in confusion before I realized what he was gazing at. The cigarette burn on my arm had been exposed as I was undoing the lock, making my sweater rise a little.

_**I'm flying, I'm flying away**_

_**Away from the names (Calling your names)**_

_**Away from the games (Fucking head games)**_

_**The circumstances of a World so cold**_

Don't let him come over here, don't let him come over here. I repeated this over and over again in my head, even as he began moving towards me. Quickly I turned away, slamming my locker shut and turning to walk away, but his voce was quicker.

"How did you get that?" He asked softly, nodding towards my wrist.

"Cooking accident." I answered smoothly. If I could deceive him well enough, he might leave me alone.

"In a circle?" The bell signified the end of lunch and I focused my gaze on him.

"That's the bell." I said blandly. "Better get to class and preserve that perfect record of yours."

**_Why does everyone feel like my enemy?_**

**_Don't want any part of depression or darkness_**

"I don't care about the damn record." He shot back. "I want to know why you were absent for five days and come back with a cigarette burn and a limp." He gently took my arm and brought it to him. "Come on, let's go to the cafeteria." Panic filled me and I instantly jerked away from his male touch.

"Leave me alone." I growled, preying that my eyes didn't betray my fear before I remembered what he had said about my burn. "And what makes you think it's a cigarette burn anyway?"

"It's in a perfect circle." He answer, and didn't say anything more as if knowing that he didn't have to. "Who did it to you?"

**_I've had enough_**

**_Sick and tired_**

"Who's to say that anyone did?" I shot back, and I could tell that this was going to be a clash.

"Then why would you have a limp?" He replied. "Sekka, just tell me what's going on."

"And why I should I?" I retorted, but through that I saw that small part of myself again in his eyes. He was in pain somewhere, and it caught my curiosity, or would have, if I hadn't been for the fear that filled my heart, being alone with a male. "You don't know me."

**_Bring the sun_**

**_Or I'm gone, or I'm gone_**

"How can anyone know you if you don't give them the chance?"

"Exactly." I hissed. "I don't want anyone to know me, so leave me the fuck alone."

"Come with me." He said, and reached out to touch my arm. I blind panic gripped my and I instantly tore out of his light grip.

**_I'm backing out, I'm no pawn_**

**_No mother fucking slave to this_**

"Don't touch me." I ordered, backing away from him and preying that he didn't hear the shakiness in my voice. He looked at me curiously for a moment before a light went on in his head.

"Sekka......... did whoever make that burn on you do something else?" He asked softly, and I couldn't hold his burning gaze any longer and looked away. "They did, didn't they?" He pressed.

**_Never lied_**

**_Never left_**

"And why should you fucking care!" I answered, my voice raising with every word. "You waltz into my life and made me see that working as a goddamn whore was a bad thing, and I listened. You've played your role in my life, so kindly step out."

"I want to more then just that." He answered back. "I want to help you. I was in the cafeteria when you had pooling from under your arm. You cutting yourself is a call for help, an SOS whether you realize it or not, and if no-one else is going to answer it, if they won't care, I will."

"I don't need you pity." I shot back. "I don't need the wealthy boy to help the poor little whore out of the 'goodness of his heart'. Sorry, that story's been done before."

"I'm not pitying you." He replied. "That's not what you need."

"Then what do I need?"

"Love." He answered quietly. At that, I burst out laughing with a laugh that carried no mirth.

**_Never loved_**

**_Never lost_**

**_Never hurt_**

**_Never worry about being me, or anyone else_**

"Love?" I laughed. "That's funny. I see your still naïve and stupid. There is no love. There's lust, and I won't have you trying to 'romance' me to fuck me and then fucked me over."

"If I wanted to 'fuck' you, then I wouldn't have stopped you in the car." I fell silent for the moment, trying to find a hole in his logic, but if there was one, I didn't see it. "You see?"

"Go away." I whispered brokenly. "Just go away and leave me be."

"I can't do that." He replied softly, the kind of soft voice that sent fear into my heart. It was hard to believe that he a rich person - a rich male no less- could honestly want to help me, could honestly care, but the thought that it might be genuine is what sent pounding fear into my veins.

"But I can." And with I turned and ran, ran as fast as I possibly could. However, I didn't get far. My injured leg gave out and I let out a small cry as I crashed to the floor, the hard tile hitting my knee and making it throb with pain.

**_Not a care, no concern, don't give a shit about anything_**

"Sekka!" I heard his footsteps come up behind me and he held out his hand to help me, but I slapped it away. "Are you alright?"

**_Backing out, giving up_**

**_No mother fucking slave to this_**

**_Never lied_**

**_Never left_**

"I'm fine." I growled, but he helped me up anyway. A part of me wanted to push him into the lockers, but another part was grateful. No-one had ever helped me like that. "Thanks." He nodded.

"You should sit down, it looks like your worse off then I first thought." He answered, gesturing to the lockers that I was leaning on for support. "If you don't want to tell me what happened, fine, but you need help either way."

**_Never lived_**

**_Never loved_**

**_Never lost_**

"No I don't." I muttered, but he didn't listen to me and lead me to the cafeteria. I sat down in a seat and he took the one across from me. We sat in silence for a long time before I dared to speak. "So, what's wrong in your life?" I knew I shouldn't have asked, but the look buried within his ruby eyes made me wonder. "You have friends, money, a family........"

"I don't have friends." He answered blandly. "Those people who call themselves my friends..... they don't really care about what happens to me. They mostly hang around me for image and such, and money can't buy you happiness as much as it can buy you loneliness."

_**Never hurt**_

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, genuinely interested. It was so odd to this male....... this _person _act this way, as if he was no better then me. Slowly I felt some of the bricks in my wall loosen against my own will. Maybe, just maybe I had wrong about him after all.

"It means that that's all my parents care about really." He replied. "Their always off on cruise ships and vacations or out buying more expensive things that we don't need but have for show. It's a hollow life for them." We fell into silence again and I thought about what he had just said.

He was sad, like me, despite everything he had.

Maybe I had been wrong about him, no his image, because that sure as hell wasn't who he was. Who he was, was the person right in front of me staring off the space in his own little world.

"Almost hard to believe." I whispered.

Never worry about being me, or anyone else

**_Not a care, no concern, don't give a shit about anything_**

"For some." He replied with a short nod of his head. "Hell, when they are home I can hardly find them in that maze of a house."

"Pretty big fucking house." He nodded before his face turned serious. "So are you going to let me help you?" We fell into silence for the second time as I thought everything over.

My heart was scarred, possibly beyond any sense of repair, but how could I know for sure? But then again, there was the risk of me getting hurt again.

"I have to go to the bathroom." I muttered and stood up, leaving Yami at the table.

_**I need to find a darkened corner**_

_**A lightless corner**_

_**Where it's safer and calmer**_

Shadows could not exist within light and I felt as if my very being would slip away if I allowed him to close to me. He would taint me with his warmth and brightness, and I was too far into the dark for exposure.

Maybe that's why I didn't return.

**_I'm turning away_**

**_Away from the name (Calling your names)_**

**_Away from the stones (Throw sticks and stones)_**

**_'Cause I'm through mending the wounds of us_**

A/N:

Well, there we go. Next chapter things should get rolling in the romantic sense, and it will be getting a little lighter for awhile before things take a turn for the worse....... # Evil grin # Oh I how I love fucking my characters over, I swear their going to rebel against me one of these days, lol. And for future reference, I'm going to be changing my name soon to Gothic-Dragon, just to let you all know that way you aren't like 'who the hell is this on my author alert?'

Alright, the stupid school FINALLY arranged for my tutor so I actually start some credits, so my updates might be getting a little longer in time because I actually have work to do now! But they shouldn't be more then a week apart, maybe more if I have writers block, which I hope it doesn't rear it's ugly head on this fic...... it already did on 'The Gift', I just hope it doesn't spread..... & Runs around making writers block poison & Well, while I work this out, please review and tell me what ya think!


	7. Alter Of My Ego

Disclaimer: Don't own YGO, or the lyrics to the song 'Dare You to Move' By Switchfoot either. The only thing I own is Sekka and the lint in my penniless pocket.

A/N: Well, here I am again and gomen for updating so late! It was my 15th birthday on Saturday and me and my two bff's slept over and well....... ya. Anyways, this chapter is a little on the lighter side and things are headed up for her from here on out until...... well until things get nasty. And as always, thanks for all the wonderfully encouraging reviews:

Cymoril Avalon: Hello again. Does look like I updated so fast this time ne? Anyways, I'm not sure if Marik-sama is going to be in or not, or anyone else for that matter.................. anyways, hope you like this chapter!

Sakura Trees: I know, fucking stupid schools................. anyways, here's your quick update.

suicide-greeting: I'm glad you liked the chapter......... and yes you were very close........ near dead on I'd say! Anyways, hope you like this chapter even if it is a bit late.

The Summer Stars: Lufferly?.................... ok then. Anyways, you collasped? From what? Anyways, hope your feeling soon, and that this chapter makes ya feel better!

Heaven's Angel: Hello. I don't remember you reviewing, you might have been under a different name.......... but anyway, thanks for the compliment, it makes me feel all fluffy inside # Huggles self # Uh, ya, anyway enjot the fic.

serpent-vampfreak: Glad you liked it! Anyways, thanks for teh compliment as well, and i hope you like this chapter just as much!

Ralphiere: Out done myself #blush# thanks. And don't worry about last chapters review, it's my damn fault for not giving you the people the time to review................ but hey I can't help it, this fic has offically kidnapped me! Anyways, hope you like this chapter.

loathed wolf spirit: Yes, Sekka's getting a break.................... for now # evil girn # Anyways, I'm still in writers block with The Gift, I don't know what I'm gonna do............... Anyways, hope you like this chapter.

yami no rose: Glad you love it, it's alwasy nice to know that you people like my work! Anyways, i have no intentions of quitting this fic, I have pretty much all of it planned out. Anyways, I look forward to hearing from you again!

Alright, with that said.........

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 7

Alter Of My Ego

For the next two days, I avoided him with everything inside me. OF was in one side of the building, I made a point to be in the other. I couldn't, wouldn't face him like that, so vulnerable and afraid of his kindness.

My leg continued healing so that only the faintest trace of a limp was evident, and the cigarette burn had turned into a circular pink scar amongst all the others that marred my flesh making me even more unattractive. With all my energy being directed towards avoiding Yami, I had forgotten all about my rent problem, that is, until I woke up the next morning..

_**Welcome to the planet**_

_**Welcome to existence**_

I woke up slowly to the hard knocking outside my door and groaned, wishing that whoever it was would just leave me alone.

"TATE! WAKE UP!" My landlord's shrill voice demanded from the other side of the door. My eyes snapped open and I scrambled out of bed, feeling like I was death warmed over.

_**Everyone's here**_

_**Everyone's here**_

I threw open the door revealing a pissed looking women.

"What?"

"Where's your rent?" She demanded, holding out her hand expectantly.

_**Everybody's watching you now**_

_**Everybody waits for you now**_

I groaned, already preparing myself for what was going to happen.

"I don't have it." I answered coolly.

"Not surprising." She hissed before turning back to me. "You have until tonight to pack up and your things and seek residence elsewhere." And with that she turned her back to me with a snobby air that made me what to smash her face in, but it held that impulse back.

Without knowing what else to do I allowed myself to sink to the floor, my head resting on my now-closed door with my knees drawn up to my chest.

This was just fucking great, now where was I going to fucking sleep?

I tried to think of different things, but the only one that seemed practical was the streets with all the other homeless bums..

_**What happens next**_

_**What happens next**_

I wasn't going to sleep on the streets.

I wouldn't, not in these streets where they had fucked me until I bled.

Then where could I go? As I thought about my options, Yami's words came back to me.

"_I was in the cafeteria when you had blood pooling from under your arm. You cutting yourself is a call for help, an SOS whether you realize it or not, and if no-one else is going to answer it, if they won't care, I will"_

"_I'm not pitying you, that's not what you need."_

"_Then what do I need?" _

"_Love."_

_**I dare you to move**_

_**I dare you to move**_

But he couldn't really mean that he honestly wanted to help me, but then again, he had treated me like a normal person and not some disobedient dog in a pound. And still, my heart pounded in my chest whenever he got near me.

Was it fear? Or was it something else that I didn't want to fathom.

"_So are you going to let me help you?"_

He asked those words with such a serious look in his eyes, and I had ran away.

Yes, I was scarred to death of giving him a chance to help me, but I was destroying myself even worse by doing this. And I couldn't I just sleep on the streets and get raped again......

_**I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor**_

_**I dare you to move**_

_**I dare you to move**_

A light seemed to go on in my head, and I almost shouted out because of it.

I wasn't living this way.

Not really. I was existing at best..

I hadn't really _lived_ in what seemed forever.

But was I able to give him the can to re-teach me how to live in this cold and unforgiving world? My heart pounded in response, but I had to.

I was scarred, I'll admit.

Maybe to damn scarred, but he was my only chance if I wanted to live and not end up committing suicide in the end, because I knew that that was what my future was right now.

Get raped and beaten on a couple more times and then give up hope.

_**Like today never happened**_

_**Today never happened before**_

But maybe I had been waiting for someone to restore me, to fix me.

Maybe this was my chance.

I wasn't meant to be this, I was destined for something greater, and I was threw with punishing myself for existence.

And still I was nervous, not wanting to pledge my trust so willingly into another's hands, but I couldn't sit here and hate my life and have just reason to bitch without trying first.

Running back into my apartment I gathered my things for school and tore out of there as if the devil himself was chasing me.

Maybe he was.

_**Welcome to the fallout**_

_**Welcome to resistance**_

Within minutes I ran into the school and went to my locker, taking extra time and waiting, just waiting, for I knew he would appear to me, and this time I wasn't going to run.

No, I was done with being weak, and it seemed to me now that maybe you had to go through weakness to find strength. (A/N: Very true people, just keep that in mind)

I heard footsteps come up behind me, and I didn't dare to look up.

I knew who it was, and I knew that's why my hear felt as it would burst from beating so rapidly in what had been the dead cavity of my chest.

He stopped from behind me, but he didn't say anything, and I could feel the tension in the air and clearly as I knew my own name.

_**The tension is here**_

_**Tension is here**_

Finally, it was me who broke the silence.

"Yes." I said simply, forcing down my blind urge to run as fast and far away from him as I could.

"What?" He asked.

"To answer to your question." I repeated. "My answer is yes."

_**Between who you are and who you could be**_

He said nothing for a long moment and I gazed at him, my eyes fixed on his face that clearly showed he was thinking, finally, he spoke.

"I'm glad." He answered sternly. "But why the change of mind?"

"More of a change of heart." I replied, willing myself not to tremble. He didn't reply to that, but I could tell by his eyes that he understood.

_**Between how it is and how it should be**_

"Your not going back there are you." He said, and it was more of a statement then a question, and I didn't have to ask to know what he was talking about.

"I'll find a new place as soon as I get a job and get back on my feet."

"You don't have a place?" I shook my head.

"No rent money." He said nothing and nodded, taking me by the shoulders gently, but I still flinched.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" I knew he was talking about what they did to me. Slowly I started to shake my head then nodded.

"When I'm ready."

_**I dare you to move**_

_**I dare you to move**_

_**I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor**_

"Alright then." He replied, and then shocked me by what he said next. "Let's go home."

"Home?" I choked. "Who said anything about-" He silence my questions with a raise of his hand.

"Do you think I'm going to let you sleep in the streets?"

"He would've." I muttered, much to soft for him to hear.

_**I dare you to move**_

_**I dare you to move**_

"What?"

"Nothing." I mumbled before steeling myself for what I was going to say next. "I'm........... sorry." The words slipped past my tongue as if they were an alien force. I hadn't said those words in years, and it amazed me that I still the ability too.

He seemed as shocked as I was before he smiled a little.

_**Like today never happened**_

_**Today never happened before**_

"I'm not going to make say for what." He replied. "I already know...... and I don't blame you. I probably would have acted the same way." I said nothing but nodded.

Maybe this was my first towards making amends for the sins of my past, a past I finally thought I might be able to but behind me.

A part of me wanted to kick my own ass for thinking that way, but the spark of hope and happiness that I still had in me.......... the child in me, (A/N: A hint to the dream people) wanted to believe and I felt the walls around my foolish heart start to loosen, and the shadows of my mind recede ever so slightly.

_**Maybe redemption has stories to tell**_

_**Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell**_

"Thank you." I whispered softly, and the absurd urge to cry came over me, but I forced it down to.......wherever it come from, for that was a mystery even to myself.

More silence followed as he lead me to the car, and I remember thinking that this where we had first met as two real people and it petty highschool philosophies, and he pulled into his parking thought, I though we had arrived at some kind of castle.

I was sure my mouth was hanging open, just the same as I was sure that he watching my reaction with amusement, and I just had say the dumbest thing possible.

"You live here?" He nodded and guided me to the door where a butler answered it, giving me a questioning look. Yami greeted him and handed him his coat before turning to me and jerking his head towards the immaculate staircase.

_**Where can you run to escape from yourself?**_

_**Where you gonna go?**_

I followed him quickly, feeling highly out of place in a house such as this. I was afraid of touching anything and dirtying it, but my felt that my presence had already done that.

"What room do you want?" He asked me quickly, and I snapped back to reality.

"Whichever." I replied and he nodded at one of the maids and told her to prepare the balcony room for me, whatever that was. "I don't deserve this." I muttered and headed for the door before a felt him catch my arm, and I turned back to look at him.

"Are you done belittling yourself yet?" He asked briskly, and I blinked before slowly nodding, my mind hypnotized by his endless ruby eyes.

_**Where you gonna go?**_

_**Salvation is here**_

"Good." He replied and gently let go off my arm, seemingly cautious not to alert me or scare me. A pang of anger hit my chest before it simmered away.

What could I blame him for?

Helping me escape the hell of my own mind..........

No, I should thank him really.

Thank him for being the only living being in the world that had showed me him gave a damn, but my jaw was sealed tight.

_**I dare you to move**_

_**I dare you to move**_

_**I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor**_

_**I dare you to move**_

_**I dare you to move**_

A question sprung into my mind, a question that I couldn't avoid nor did I want to. I needed to know the truth if I was ever to be at peace and it spilled out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"Yami, tell me the truth, why are you helping me?"

_**Like today never happened**_

_**Today never happened**_

He paused for a moment as if thinking before he turned back to me, his crimson eyes gazing at me as if he could see into my very heart of hearts. That thought made me shiver inside.

Finally he answered.

"Because a bird with broken wings ceases to fly." And then he was gone, leaving me to ponder just what he meant.

_**Today never happened**_

_**Today never happened before**_

A/N:

Well, there we go, it's finally done! # Does happy dance #. Anyways, I hope ya'll liked this chapter, and I'll warn you, there is some fluff coming up soon, but just remember - happiness is like a flower ...beautiful while it lasts, but it must eventually fall to winter. Anyways, please leave a review and tell me what ya think!


	8. Sins Of The Past

Disclaimer: Ok, if I owned YGO, I would be some brilliant Japanese dude with a mansion and be practically rolling in money, and if I owned the lyrics to 'Sold me' by Seether, it would be pretty much the same thing.

A/N: OMG GOMEN GOMEN GOMEN ON UPDATING SO LATE! But I have reasons - fist writers block was kicking my ass, then I had an argument with my parents and they called the cops, and the cop saw me cutting myself in the bathroom and took to the psychiatric ward and I was stuck in there for an 48 hour observation period. Not fun, but anyway I'm writing now, and I really hope that this chapter makes up for it. Anyways, shout-outs:

Sakura Trees: Yes, because with broken wings ceases to fly. You'll understand what I mean later on in the fic.

Ralphiere: Here's teh next chapter, and don't worry, I don't plan on quitting this fic anytime soon!

Cymoril Avalon: # Blushes# Thanks, and yes, Yami does pretty much everything cutely! Don't worry, you'll find out about Marik in this chapter!

suicide-greeting: She'll probably get her stuff in the next chapter, I need her to have something with her anyways, you'll see whatI mean!

serpent-vampfreak: Wow, that's a lot of questions, ok first off, no, Sekka's not even close to being out of the woods yet, and yes, Yami will try to help her. I would answer more questions, but I don't have a lot of time, so you'll just have to keep reading to find out!

loathed wolf spirit: Thanks for the happy birthday, and yes, I love that song too. Anyways, hope you like this chapter!

Deceptive-Innocence: Sure......... ok.......... whatever. Love ya!

odd little leprechaun ): Thanks for reviewing at least one of my fics! Ya, I suck at grammer, I'm more of a plot person. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

peachi goddess: Of course Sekka and Yami get togther! This is a romance fic, and thanks for your encouraging review!

Ok, on with the fic!

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 8

Sins of the Past

I awoke the next day, and for the first time in a long time, wasn't hoping that I was going to be hit by a fucking mac truck.

If anything I felt……… hope? Was that it?

I didn't know seeing as I had forgotten the feeling of hope a long time ago.

I rolled over, not wanting to leave the sweet oblivion of sleep, and his words from last night came back to me.

"_why are you helping me?"_

"_because a bird with broken wings ceases to fly."_

Were my wings broken, leaving me as a helpless bird, an vulnerable bird that could easily be killed by the cat across the street?

Maybe.

Probably.

After a few more moments I forced myself to get up, finding my way to the shower before undressing. The shower was large needless to stay, kept sparkling clean by the servants.

I habitually kept my gaze from the large full length hanging on the wall and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water roll over my skin. It felt great to not have to worry about how much the water bill was going to be or other things of that nature.

"_because a bird with broken wings ceases to fly."_

I couldn't get those out of my head no matter how hard I tried.

I was too afraid that they were right, but also afraid that they were wrong. I didn't want to be helpless, frail, and totally dependent on anything but myself, but what was I going to be if I wasn't?

The same whore that I was now?

Shaking my head I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around me before I opened the door.

And froze in a crimson gaze.

I couldn't move, and my heart was pounding in my chest so hard I thought it might explode. His eyes were roaming over me and I instinctively hid the bottoms of my slashed arms, but I realized only to late that he wasn't focused on my arms but on my shoulder.

Far too late I threw my hand over the scar, but I knew that it was to late.

He had seen the initials.

"I have to go." Was I said as I shouldered past him, all but running back towards my room, the towel clutched to me tightly.

I didn't look back.

I didn't dare to look back.

Reaching the room I slammed the door behind me and leaned against it. The towel was slipping off my body and I reached the grab it before it fell.

Slowly I went into the bathroom, letting the cloth fall to the ground and expose my nudity. I was still far too thin, nearly all of my ribs showing through my skin, but I wasn't looking at that. Like his had been, my gaze was locked on my shoulder, and the scarring that was still there after two years.

_His_ initials.

M I

I closed my eyes and turned away from the mirror, not baring to see that he was still with me.

A knock on the door grabbed my attention. I didn't need to ask who it was. I knew it was Yami, coming to see if I was alright.

"Sekka? Sekka it's me open up."

I slung the towel around me again before stepping out of the bathroom.

"Go away." I muttered back. I couldn't explain this to him, or more to the point, I wouldn't. Not now, after all the shit that went on. The knob turned and the door opened, and he stepped in.

I turned my eyes from him, not wanting him to see to see what they might be revealing.

"Are you ok?"

"Fine." I answered coolly before sitting on the side of my bed. No-one said anything for what seemed like years, but I knew that he would ask soon, and I would have to back in time to a place that still haunted me.

"Sekka, how did you get those scars?" He asked, sitting next to me so that I could feel the warmth of his skin through his clothes.

"Your not going to leave me alone until I tell you are you?" I asked, and his silence was enough of an answer. "Goddammit." I stood up and stared out the window at the city below. "Why do you have to fucking know everything?" I shot at him, but it didn't unnerve him.

"How can I help you if I don't know anything?" I bowed my head, the floor suddenly becoming fascinating as I tried anyway I could not to look at him.

"What are you making me do this?" I whispered. "It was a long time ago ok? It's over."

"But the past can still hurt you." I don't why I lifted my head and gazed at him when he said that. Maybe it was the way he said it, like he knew that the past could swallow up someone's future, maybe it was because I somehow sensed that there was more to this perfect picture then met the eye, maybe I was just fucked in the head……….. who knows, but I did.

His eyes were what hit me first…….. those crimson eyes that seemed so distant and hurt. Something was hurting him, anyone could see that much, but I didn't know what.

# Sold Me by Seether starts #

"Yes." I answered. "The past can still burn you." I turned away and sat on the bed, he didn't follow, but I could tell that he was waiting for me to start. I took a breath that I hoped would calm my rapidly beating heart and closed my eyes, willing the memories not to return before I dared open them again.

"It's ok." He replied, sensing my fear, frustration, my reluctance to live through all I had a second time. I took another breath, and, almost against my will the story of how I came to be what I was poured out.

"His name was Marik." I started. "Marik Ishtar." He nodded and glanced at my shoulder again. "He was one of those people were always into trouble, but never seemed to be bothered by it, and never paid much for all the shit he caused. I ran away when I was fourteen, and some of my friends knew him, that's we first met - at a rave.

He asked some questions, we got talking, got drunk, got high, and seemed that everything would just slip away when I was sitting next to him, higher then a kite without a care in the world.

**_Here I stand before myself_**

**_I see something's out of place_**

Things went on from there until we finally hooked up. He was nineteen, a full 5 years older then me, but that didn't matter, at least in my eyes. I moved in with him shortly after, and that's when all the shit began.

He always wanted sex, I mean like every night, and, being the dumb little bitch that I was, gave it to him thinking that he would 'love' me even more.

**_You tasted all my purity_**

**_Now there's nothing left to waste_**

How stupid.

Then, the beatings started………….

"_get down bitch!"_

"_leave me alone, what the hell did I do?"_

"_Stupid cunt with a big mouth."_

I shook my head to clear away the memories of his words, our fights, and everything that came with them, but they wouldn't recede, and I forced myself to continue. Yami stayed quite, just listening and paying attention to what I was saying.

_**The feeling gets so in my way**_

_**It's getting lost in my delivery**_

"He did a lot of drugs, bad ones too. Cocaine, heroine, stuff like that. He would usually come home from wherever either drunk or high, and anything that went bad that day would be on my head, not matter what it was.

It started as just arguments at first, and then, they began to become more then just that, until the point where he would backhand me across the face to shut me up, and if I didn't, well he'd find other ways to silence me, either through sex which was more like rape, or by beating me down so that I didn't have the energy to fight back anymore.

**_The feeling gets so in my way_**

**_I'm getting lost in your periphery_**

That's how the cutting started.

I hated myself because I hated him, and one day I just started cutting my arm. After that I always wore long sleeves to hid it, and I always try and find some excuse not to have sex with him, but finally I ran out excuses and he saw them.

He asked me what they were, and when I didn't answer, he beat the answer out of me. You have no idea how much make I had to wear to cover up the bruises he made on me.

I was fifteen by this time, and starting to realize that I had to get the hell out, and away from him. But I was helpless, he was bigger, stronger, meaner, and I was so small compared to him, not to mention, afraid of what he might do to me if I tried to leave.

**_And you sold me up the river again_**

**_(I don't want to be open)_**

**_And you made me start it over again_**

**_(I don't want to be open)_**

So, like a cowardly fool, I stayed with him, pleasing him anyway I could and hoping that he wouldn't turn his rage on me.

It didn't work, and everyday he found some reason to hate me, beat me, hell maybe even kill me. And the next day he would always apologize claiming he didn't even remember what he did.

_**And you moved me, and you sued me, and you fucked me**_

_**(I don't want to be open)**_

I bought for awhile hoping against hope that he wouldn't hurt me, not just physically, but emotionally too. He made me want to cut myself more because he had drilled it in my head that I was worthless, unneeded, and only good for a cheap thrill when ever he wanted.

This went on for another 6 months before things took another turn for the worst.

He got fired for getting high on the job, whatever it was, and he was flat broke. Seeing as he had some things on his record, he couldn't get another job, so he started to look at me.

I was pretty developed by then, he had made me mature faster, and face the world faster and I suppose that's why I looked 18.

**_And you left me wondering what the hell_**

**_What is wrong with me?_**

He figured I was plenty old enough to…… to start working on the streets to pay for his habits.

I didn't want to at first, but I had no choice in the matter after he held a knife to my throat and threatened to slice it open if I didn't.

So, I ripped my clothes to make them the most revealing pieces of clothing I could, and started working the streets. He would take my pay at the end of each night and go out to bars and shit with me to get drunk and high.

He could two hundred dollars on cocaine a night, and be almost out by morning. Someone, he managed to save enough for our food and rent, but that meant I had to work EVERY night.

And that wasn't all.

**_I never felt like I had felt_**

**_Until the day you came undone_**

He came at me sexually a lot more too, forcing me to do all of things for him, all his dreams, and whatever, and if I wouldn't……he would tie me to the bed and torture me with fire until I would obey him.

'_fucking do it you bitch'_

'_get away from me you fucking psycho'_

'_psycho huh? tell me babe do you like fire?'_

It was a living hell.

I started to want to die, really die. I thought I had no other way out, and I cut myself even more, often hitting veins and just watching the blood pour, until one day I got a little carried away and ended up slitting a main artery.

I can still remember how all of my blood seemed to pour out all at once, and how suddenly, I didn't care about anything at all, everything was suddenly fine.

**_I never felt like I was lost_**

**_Until the day you killed me again_**

I woke up in the hospital, and remained in 2 south until they thought I was stable again and released me. But I would have been happier there.

He was angry at me, so angry at me for not working, that he hadn't gotten high in two weeks. He beat me until I was sure I was almost dead. Every bone in my body hurt, and it seemed like I was going to fall apart at the seems if I was to move.

**_The feeling gets so in my way_**

**_It's getting lost in my delivery_**

**_The feeling gets so in my way_**

**_I'm getting lost in your periphery_**

When I was healed from that, it was back on the streets for me. Working as a prostitute the same way that I was up until a few days ago.

Yes, I got raped, but it was all worth it. He didn't know that I was saving up money to try and get myself the hell out of there, I was sixteen, I could make it on my own.

**_And you sold me up the river again_**

**_(I don't want to be open)_**

I had nearly five hundred dollars saved up when he finally caught on to what I was doing and tried to take the money from me.

I stabbed him in the shoulder, took my money and ran without looking back.

A few months later he caught up with me again, and broke down my door to get to me. He had a knife with him, and he said something about marking me the way I marked him.

That's when he carved his own initials into my skin as if I was some sort of cow on the market.

**_And you made me start it over again_**

**_(I don't want to be open)_**

**_And you moved me, and you sued me, and you fucked me_**

**_(I don't want to be open)_**

Somehow I managed to get away from him again, and ran to another city, hoping to start my life over in a place where no-one knew me.

**_And you left me wondering what the hell_**

**_What is wrong with me?_**

That was ok for a little while, until he finally tracked me down again.

'_fucking little whore! Think you can get away from me!"_

Needless to say, he beat for what seemed like the hundredth time.

'_don't worry bitch, I'll do more then just fuck around with your this time. You'll got what's coming to you, you worthless little whore' _

That time, he pulled out a gun and shot me in the stomach, but he was too high to make a fatal hit.

_**Are you stronger**_

_**For cutting me open**_

_**Are you stronger**_

_**For leaving me broken**_

I called the hospital, and spent some time getting treated and shit. Last I heard of him, he was arrested for attempted murder and doing time."

I stopped, shocked with myself that I poured out that story that not another soul knew so willingly to someone I barely knew to begin with.

My second surprise was that my face was wet. I hadn't noticed that I had been crying.

**_And you sold me up the river again_**

**_(I don't want to be open)_**

**_And you made me start it over again_**

**_(I don't want to be open)_**

Yami said nothing, but he eyes traveled my exposed skin, and I was sure that he was noticing the burn marks that littered my arms and other parts of my body. Silence hung in the room for what seemed like forever until he finally spoke.

**_And you moved me, and you sued me, and you fucked me_**

**_(I don't want to be open)_**

**_And you left me wondering what the hell_**

**_What is wrong with me?_**

"Thank you." My head snapped up.

"For what?"

"Trusting me." He replied, then he did the oddest thing. He placed his hands on my shoulders and gave me a light kiss on the head before he got up and headed towards the door. He stopped and looked back me. "You better prey that he never crosses my path. I'd show him a thing or two about fire." And with he was gone, leaving me staring at the door.

He was protecting me.

Really and honestly protecting me.

Closing my eyes I leaned against the wall, letting the cool material calm me.

"Sweet god not again."

A/N:

Well, there you have it people, the 8th chapter is FINALLY done! Anyways, there's Sekka's path in a nutshell, and things should start to get romantic from now on until well……… until I feel like fucking my characters over. Anyways, again GOMEN on updating so horribly late, but please understand that it was beyond my control! And you wonderful people know what to do……….. please review and I'll my hardest not to let another chapter EVER come out as slow as this one again!


	9. Understanding

Disclaimer: # rolls eyes # uh huh…… I own YGO, that's why I'm sitting here, writing this fic and making no money at all. I also don't own the lyrics to 'Understanding' by Evanescence. It's a bit of a weird song, but it's beautiful. Go download it!

A.N: Well, I'm back again! Anyways, I see that some of you are confused on the Marik, Yami Marik thing, and I'm sorry that I didn't clear this up before, but I did mean Marik's Yami form. Sorry for the confusion. Anyways, shout-outs:

Sakura Trees: Well.......... it's a hard habit to break, but I'll try.

Blue Savage: Yes, it was Marik! Who else would it be? Anways, sorry for teh confusion on the Marik/Yami Marik thingie!

serpent-vampfreakL She ran away because she was stupid and nieve, and she ddin't go back because of her pride. Ya, they took my blood, and gave me a test to see if I went into seziures.......... I dunno. Anyways, enjoy the chapter, and be careful with the cutting - some people accidently go through with a suicide.

WolfOfShadow: Yes, my grammer sucks, but hey, I'm only 15! Anyways, read the top. I meant Yami Marik. Opps............ and yes, leperchaun does like to ramble........... but that's cool. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Crystal56: Well, here's your update! Anyways, I do liek 'fucking my charactes over" It's fun! Now I see why God likes fucking us over all the time.Opps.......... shouldn't have said that. Whatever, thanks for all the reviews!

peachi goddess: Yes, her life has been sad, and I hope it makes other people grateful for what they have! Romance in this chapter so I hope you like it, even if it is confusing. You'll hate me for the ending though!

Alright, with that said, here's the chapter.

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter Nine

Understanding

An hour had passed, and I still sat there, the towel wrapped around my body, my hair having dried a long time ago. A knock on the door brought me back into the world and I looked up to see Yami in the doorway.

"We should get your things." Was all he said, and I nodded in response, heading towards the closet where I knew there would be clothes for me. It was strange just how fucked up this relationship was. We barely ever spoke, and yet I knew that he knew every emotion I was feeling. I knew this because I felt the sadness and pain inside him.

Shaking my head I pulled on a long sleeved shirt and a pair of pants before walking out of the room, willing the memories to recede. But I knew they wouldn't…….. not for a long time.

I made my way out to the car. The ride was silent, neither of us saying anything, but not needing to. When we reached my old apartment I opened the door and left without a word. I had to get out of there, away from him, who now knew the truth of my seemingly cursed life.

I couldn't face him, didn't want to face him anymore, and yet, as much as I hated, I knew I needed him, needed his help.

My apartment was still open, and my things untouched, which I was surprised at, and I walked into my room, taking in the old smells. Grease and cleaner mostly, but at least it was something familiar.

The memories were coming back now, harder then ever, and my legs didn't want to support me as the old fear returned. I came crashing down onto the bathroom floor, my hands flying up the grab the lip of the sink to stop my head from hitting the ground.

"_Fucking stop Marik!" I screamed, backing into the wall as he came at me._

"_Shut the hell up bitch!" He snarled, grabbing me by the throat and throwing me onto the ground._

My body filled with phantom pain, the old pain that he had filled me with time and time again. The tears poured from my eyes, and I was glad that Yami wasn't here to see my weakness.

_**The pain that grips you**_

_**The fear that binds you**_

_**Releases life in me**_

_The fire danced within my range of vision, the light reflecting in his dark cold eyes._

"_Tell me babe, do you like fire? You always like burning candles and shit." I closed my eyes, knowing that I couldn't fight back. _

"_Stop." I whispered, knowing that he wouldn't, but praying that he might. He laughed before the fire on my skin, my own screams deafening me._

I didn't know what to do with the memories running through my head, so I did what any scared little child would, and curled into a ball, my sobs racking my body without making a sound.

"_Fucking whore!" He shouted. "Think you can fucking get away from me huh?" He pulled out the switchblade before reaching out and grabbing my shirt, cutting the sleeve off so that the skin of my shoulder was exposed. "I'll fucking show you."_

"_Get the hell away from me!" But I was as if he didn't hear me at all, pulling out a lighter and heating the blade._

"_Come here!" He commanded, and I didn't move, my legs were that weak, so he grabbed me instead, slapping me across the face before bringing the heated knife to my shoulder. "Fucking bitch, you're mine, fucking got that? MINE!"_

God, I couldn't take this anymore, couldn't hold this all inside of me anymore. Moving slowly I reached up with my hand, feeling for the razor that I knew would be there.

_**In our mutual**_

_**Shame we idolize**_

_**To blind them from the truth **_

_**That finds a way from who we are**_

My hand brushed the cool metal, and I gripped it, rolling up my sleeve and revealing not only my scars, but the burn marks as well. Just the sight of them filled me with rage, pain, hurt, anger. Hell, I didn't even fucking know what my emotions were anymore!

But I knew this, this feeling that sent chills through me. Slowly, I dragged the razor across my skin, letting the metal puncture and cut my flesh. Unwanted tears dropped from my eyes, mixing with my blood tears as the crimson fluid dripped from the wound.

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs outside, and I knew who it was.

"Fuck." I muttered, reaching for a towel to cover the wound and collect the blood that was rushing from it. With my other hand I closed the bathroom door and locked it. Not seconds later I heard him calling my name, but I was starting to feel a little light headed, and the towel was fast becoming entirely red.

Fuck, maybe I had cut a little deeper then I had meant to. I didn't reply and before I knew it, I heard him knocking on the door. Still I said nothing as the knocking turned into pounding. My vision was becoming slightly blurry and I didn't even notice that he had somehow gotten in until I felt him grip my shoulders.

_**Please don't be afraid**_

_**When the darkness fades away**_

"Sekka? Sekka!" I looked up to see his red eyes boring into mine. Red, like my blood……….

A jerk brought me back to my senses, and my vision cleared a little so that I could see the worry etched into his face.

"Are you ok, can you talk?" Sluggishly I pushed him away, or tried to, but I just ended up falling into his chest, his arms wrapping around me. "Sekka!"

"I'll be ok." I said, but it seemed distant and far away even to myself.

"The bleeding's stopped." He said, before dipping his head down so that it rested on my shoulder, his arms still wrapped around me firmly. "Why?" The question was soft, and filled with pain. My vision was clearing and I felt strong enough to sit up a little bit.

Silence.

His gaze was locked on me so intensely that I was afraid that he could see straight through me. I didn't answer his question, I was afraid to. Afraid of him, and of his caring for me, so I looked away from him instead, but I could feel the worry, caring, and anxiety radiating off his aura.

"Sekka?" He said gently after a few more moments of silence. "Why…… I thought that you were……."

"Were what?" I snapped, angry all of the sudden, and I didn't even know why. Maybe that he had seen me at my weakest, that he knew…… there was a hundred possible reasons, and still, I didn't understand my own anger. "Were fine now that I had spilled out everything to you? now that you knew more then anybody alive besides me and Marik himself? Now that you thought I had let you in?"

"Sekka-"

"No." I said, cutting him off and rising to my feet, using the sink as a brace. "I asked you to help me 'repair my wings' as you would say. Not to know everything about me, not to lure me to the cliff just to throw me off it. No, he did that enough, and each time I came back, I'm not that stupid anymore!" But I didn't believe my own words and he knew it.

And suddenly, I was crying again, and my legs were weak. And before I knew it, I had come crashing down again, and he had caught me on instinct.

_**The dawn will break the silence**_

_**Screaming in our hearts**_

_**My love for you still grows**_

_**This I do for you**_

_**Before I try to fight the truth my final time**_

"Don't." I whispered brokenly into his shoulder, where I had landed. "Don't catch me like that. If I fall, then I fall alone, and there will be nothing but the cement to catch me." I said, reciting a line from one of my poems.

"What?" He asked, and I wasn't sure that he had heard me.

"Don't catch me like that." I whispered again, trying not to choke on my own sobs. "Your job isn't to catch me."

"Then what is my job?" He asked softly, his arms once again wrapped around me. And suddenly, I felt safe like this, not lost in the cold and darkness, but here, in his warmth. But if this was so good, then why the hell was my heart pounding so hard that I couldn't breathe? "And don't say to leave you, because that's not what I'm going to do."

_**"We're supposed to try and be real.**_

_**And I feel alone, and we're not together. And that is real."**_

"You have to." I whispered again, the tears wetting his clothing. "I'll only hurt you."

"Then hurt me." He whispered back. "Then hurt me, and maybe then you wouldn't have to hurt yourself." I lifted my head to meet his eyes, his red eyes that could draw me in forever if I the courage to fall. He said nothing, and I said nothing, but as his face came closer to mine, my heart felt as if it was going to burst.

_**Can't wash it all away**_

_**Can't wish it all away**_

_**Can't cry it all away**_

_**Can't scratch it all away**_

"Don't." I whispered, but didn't pull back, and he didn't stop. I knew he wouldn't, and yet I was scared, so fucking scared that he wouldn't, and scared that he would.

But in that moment when his lips brushed mine, for that one second, everything was ok, and I felt not the cold of the world, but something worth living for. His strength, his life that flowed in him so strong seemed to flow into me with that simple gesture, and still I couldn't breath, and fear pulsed through me.

Fear of falling into him, the way I had fallen into Marik, only to be burned by my own flame. And still, I knew it was falling, and it mystified me of how I had come to care for him so much , so quickly, without even knowing it.

But what was it that I was feeling? Was it my weakness craving his strength?

"Don't do this." I said again, the tears still leaking from my eyes. But he didn't stop, and his lips brushed mine again, longer and stronger then before.

_**Lying beside you**_

_**Listening to you breathe**_

_**The life that flows inside of you**_

_**Burns inside of me**_

I was so confused, so scared, and so warm in his embrace. How had this started? Where the sam fuck had this come from, and why did it feel so right?

"Stop, don't do this anymore." I pleaded, my voice low and hoarse from my teardrops. "For the love of God, don't love me."

"Why?" He asked, his voice firm and husky, and sending ripples through my spine.

"Because." I choked. "I'll only cause you pain, it'll be so much easier."

"Easier for you to what? To continue suffering like this?"

"Yes." I whispered, and tried to pull away from him, but his grip was firm.

_**Hold and speak to me**_

_**Of love without a sound**_

_**Tell me you will live through this**_

_**And I will die for you**_

"I won't let you leave, not like this."

"You have to!" I almost yelled, trying to pull away from him again, new tears flowing down my cheeks. "Don't you get it, I'll kill you in the end." With one last tug, I pulled away from him, running across the apartment and grabbing my poem book before heading for the door.

He called after me, but I continued running.

I couldn't let this happen, not again. I wouldn't love anyone, I couldn't love anyone without hurting them. I had always hurt everyone I had ever known, I was damn near fucking cursed, and I wouldn't contaminate him.

_**Cast me not away**_

_**Say you'll be with me**_

_**For I know I cannot**_

_**Bear it all alone**_

If I stayed with him, I would only hurt him more then I could ever imagine. Why didn't he understand this?

His shouts followed me long after he was gone, and I hid in an alley so that if he drove by, he wouldn't see me from the streets.

_**"You're not alone, are you?"**_

_**"Never... Never."**_

I was crying again, but this time I knew why.

I was crying for him, crying because he had so much hope in me, so much faith, and I would only fail him. I was crying for his heart, for his soul, and yes, maybe even for my own heart.

_**Can't fight it all away**_

_**Can't hope it all away**_

_**Can't scream it all away**_

_**It just won't fade away, No**_

For my heart, which was so scared to live that it was dying without ever learning to live. God, why did I have to meet him? Things had been much simpler before him. I would have continued as I was, and he would have continued as he had, and none of this would have ever happened.

I would be dead inside, he would have lived, and I would never have learned what he had taught me, and I wouldn't be sitting here crying for him, crying for what I could have had, and feeling as if I was being ripped apart.

_**Can't wash it all away**_

_**Can't wish it all away**_

_**Can't cry it all away**_

_**Can't scratch it all away**_

And I would never have had to remember Marik, and what he had done to me. I would still be cold, and safe. More sobs racked my body, and I was powerless to stop the whirlwind of emotion that was tearing through my body.

_**(Can't fight it all away)**_

_**(Can't hope it all away)**_

_**Can't scream it all away**_

_**Ooh, it all away**_

_**Ooh, it all away**_

"Yami." I whispered to the darkening sky, even though I knew he couldn't hear me. "Please understand, I'm doing this for you."

A/N:

Ok, well that chapter didn't come out the way I expected it to, but it came out better, so I'm happy about that. I have a vague idea of where this is going to go from here, I just have to work some things out. Anyways, please review and tell me what you think! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out within a week or less!


	10. Reflections Of The Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO, or the lyrics to 'Away' by Breaking Benjamin either. Really good song, go download it!

A/N: Well, hello again everyone! Ok, some of you are getting tired of the circle game, and it's understandable, and lucky for you, it's about to end! This chapter should be the last of it……. I hope. I dunno, my fics run away with me sometimes. Also, some of you mentioned about Sekka thinking that she's going to kill Yami, I'll explain it because some of you are taking it the wrong way. I don't mean it as she will literally kill him, but what she means is that she'll kill him emotionally. Just thought I'd clear that up. Anyways, shout-outs:

loathed wolf spirit: Oh well, shit happens ne? Anyways, just review this chapter when you get a chance. Love ya!'

peachi goddess: Hey again! Anyways, is Marik comes back and sees Yami and Sekka together well ya.............. shit would hit the fan. I won't tell you if that happens though, lol I'm evil. Neways, enjoy the chappie!

Crystal56: Was this a quick enough update? I hope so, lol. Super angst? Not really, if you want angst go read deceptiveinnocence 's fic called Fallen Angel: Cry For Redemption. I mena, thatfic even scares me......................so ya. Anways, ttly.

WolfOfShadow: Hey, I like pizza to lol! Thanks for the grammer. Anyways, purple monkey dishwasher.......... hmm, I'll run that by my friend who likes to event shit that goes boom............. # anime sweatdrop # ya......... she almostdemolished my microwave......... anyways, enjoy the fic!

Silver Magiccraft: Yep so close.............. lol I'm evil! Anyways, this is pretty much the last of it, and I have a feeling that your going to like this chapter............... well I hope you do, lol! And read the author note for information on the dying thing.............. your a little confused on it, no offense.

Cymoril Avalon: Happy ending.............. hell no! Ok, well maybe, I dunno, all depends if I feel mean, lol. Anyways, I never really thought of the lyrics............. but it does make sense hmm.......... I'll change that eventually.... # coughcough# never # coughcough# Anyways, I love that song 2............ Ok, I'm rambling. Hope you like the chapter.

serpent-vampfreak: Well, here's the update for ya! And ya, do be careful........ I wouldn't want you to ge through with a accidental suicide. Cute? Are you calling chapters cute?Dude, what the fuck are you on, lol. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Alright, with all that said, on with the fic!

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter Ten

Reflections Of The Heart

The night was cold, and I didn't sleep in fear of the four men that raped me coming back. It was stupid I knew, that could find me in this alley, far away from the one that they themselves had abused me in, but still, fear kept me awake.

I was glad really, it gave me time to think about everything in my life that had abruptly turned right the fuck upside down. One simple name summed it all up: Yami.

Yes, I blamed him for this, maybe even hated him for this, but I needed him more. That time, in my apartment when he had caught me, held me……….. I liked it. It felt right, and as much as I hated it myself, I wanted more of it.

But I would hurt him in the end, I was sure of that. I had hurt everyone I had ever come in contact with…… my mother, my father, my friend, myself. He would merely be another causality on my list of people I had fucked over, and I didn't want such a fate for him.

I wanted to keep him safe from myself, even if it meant that I had to sacrifice the one person I felt could help me.

Dawn was beginning to break on the horizon, the dim light only starting to illuminate the world. I was tired, and hungry, but I didn't think about it, instead I forced myself to watch the sun rise.

I hadn't done it in so long.

Me and my mother used to do it sometimes, when I was younger. I had always be in love with the blending of the color and the hues that were never quite the same.

Before, I would have hid the breathtaking sight from my eyes, not willing to admit that I missed my mother, and that, somewhere in my heart, deep at the bottom of all the pain and hate she put my through, I loved her and needed her.

But it was far too late to go knocking on her doorstep now. She wouldn't want me, not after all the shit I put her through. It was sad, and I never wished that I could start my life over more then I did right now.

Slowly I stood up, the early sunlight filling my eyes. It seemed ironic to me that on the day I realize just how far I've fallen is the day I watch the sunlight. I laughed at this, what the writers called a mirthless laugh.

It wasn't caused by humor, but pain, and longing for a redemption that I could never reach. I sighed and began walking towards the school, I still needed to go to my classes, even if I hated it.

I was scared too, of seeing him again, having to face him after what went on yesterday, but at the same time, I prayed that he would be there and I could tell him for the last time that if he wanted to save himself, that he would have to forget me, everything about me.

The walk was long, and cold, and I was nearly dead by the time I reached the school. I made it to class on time for what seemed like the first time in years.

English.

I actually didn't mind this class, at least Yami wasn't in it. But he would be in my next class………

I forced myself to push that thought out of my mind, but atlas, it couldn't remain buried forever. Especially when I took my seat in the back of class, hoping against hope that he would leave me alone. Surprisingly, he took his seat at lease two rows away from me.

I looked up at the same time that he looked at me, and I met his gaze. This time I didn't look away, but forced myself to stare into the ruby gaze, meeting it with fierce pride. He looked away first and as much as I was happy, it broke my heart at the same time.

Why was it that I always died for the ones I loved and they didn't even know it?

I had to get out of here before class ended and he could catch me. The class was quite, and I timidly raised my hand.

"Yes Miss. Tate?"

"Can I go to the bathroom?" The teacher nodded and I grabbed my things and bolted out of class before the teacher could ask me why I was taking my things. He probably didn't even care, given my rep of tearing things to fucking pieces.

I ducked into the bathroom, leaning against the wall and forcing down the tears that threatened to well up in my eyes, exposing my weakness to the uncaring world.

After so many times of not understanding my own tears, I just had to completely understand what hurt me the most. I was leaving him, shunning him from getting any closer to the morbid truth. I opened my eyes again, my reflection catching my gaze.

_**Cold am I**_

_**I'm beside myself**_

_**Because there's no one else**_

And I just had to ask myself who was this girl staring back at me with the hollowed eyes, the shadowed features, long brown hair that could cover my face to prevent my emotions showing to the world. But he had seen those emotions, those scars………..

I looked away from the mirror just as the door opened, two girls walking in. They didn't say anything to me, but I could tell by the disgust on their features that I was unwanted. I said nothing to them, but stepped into the hall, hoping to be lost among the crowd of teens.

My locker wasn't far away, but I didn't dare go near it, instead I headed out the nearest door and into the sunlight. He wouldn't look for me out here, he wouldn't expect me in be in the grace of light. I leaned against the building and sighed, closing my eyes to the sun.

_**Have I grown**_

_**So blind?**_

_**Only god could save you**_

_**If you knew your way to the light**_

People passed me, their whispers muffled by their hands, but I didn't give a fuck anymore. Let them think what they want, who I am to correct what they think I am when I don't even know myself?

I pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a puff and exhaling slowly, willing the smoke to calm my nerves.

"You know that's bad for you." I nearly a foot in the air, his voice surprising me. I looked over, catching crimson gaze before looking away.

"How'd you find me?" I said in a low voice, taking another puff and leaning against the wall.

"Believe or not, your actually not that hard to find." He replied before reaching over, taking my cigarette and stepping on it. "You'll give yourself if you keep that up."

"Might not be so bad." I muttered before looking away. "Why are you here?"

_**So fly away **_

_**And leave it behind**_

_**Just stay awake**_

_**There's nowhere to hide **_

"Why do you think?" At this I ran my hands through my dark hair in frustration.

"Look, I told you to stay the fuck away from me." I said in a deadly voice, masking all my hurt with anger. If I could get him to hate me, then maybe I could keep him safe. "I don't need pity."

"That won't work on me, Sekka." He said firmly. "You won't get me to hate you by being cruel." I hung my head.

"When what will?" My voice was small, and pitiful, and I hated it.

"Nothing." He replied.

_**I see you**_

_**Cause you won't get out of my way**_

"What the fuck will it take before you finally get it through that fucking thick skull of yours!" I exclaimed in exasperation. "Leave me alone!"

"Sekka-"

_**I hear you**_

_**Cause you won't quit screaming my name**_

"No, don't 'Sekka' me, ok? Yes leave me the fuck alone! Get out of here and let me die in peace!" I was shouting now, not caring that people where staring at us with shock, and I could here their thoughts 'what the fuck is Yami doing with that trash-bag slut'.

_**I feel you**_

_**Cause you won't stop touching my skin **_

"Do you honestly think that I'll walk away, and watch you kill yourself slowly from a distance?" He retorted. "You and I both know that it's gone past that. I'm involved now, I'm not just going to walk out on you now."

"Then get uninvolved! Fuck, just forget this! You have better things to do then waste time on people like me." I couldn't express my pain into words to hear myself say these words, to see the flickering doubt in his eyes, to see his heart breaking while he tried desperately to keep it together.

_**I need you**_

_**Their coming to take you away**_

"There you go again." He muttered. " 'people like me', Sekka, your human same of the rest of us."

"Not really." I shoot back. "I'm just a plaything for men when they want a fuck. Is everyone else like that?"

"Your were."

"And still am!" I shouted back. "As long as I have this-" I pulled down the shoulder of my top, exposing the scarred initials that had been cut into my skin. "- I'm still just a whore." Why was I doing this? I could be with him if only I could take back everything that had happened today, but I couldn't. I couldn't lose everything I had built to keep him safe.

But if this was so right, then why the hell did I feel like I was being ripped in two?

_**Frail and dry **_

_**I could lose it all**_

_**But I cannot recall **_

_**It's all wrong**_

"So this what you want?" He asked softly, and it killed me to see his sad eyes as he said this. "You want to continue suffering pointlessly?" Inside, every part of me was screaming no, but I forced the opposite out of my mouth.

"Yes." I answered. "It's what I want."I forced my voice not to break on me, willing my body not to lose this facade. "I want you to forget me." I turned and began walking away slowly, my insides being ripped out with every step.

_**Don't cry**_

_**Clear away this hate**_

_**And we can start to make it alright**_

"You know what they say." He said slowly. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. It's a pity that such a beautiful creature should die because it's pride refuses to accept what's right in front of it." His words made me stop for a moment, and I turned back to look at him for what I hoped and feared would be the last time.

"But perhaps the horse will die for it's rider who is starving for meat." And with that I turned back and walked away from him, the only person who could help me.

_**So fly away**_

_**And leave it behind**_

_**Return someday**_

_**With red in your eyes**_

Whispers followed me, and I was sure that they followed him, but I ignored them. There were nothing to me, besides, what I was feeling inside was worst then any word or jeer they could throw at me.

_**I see you**_

_**Cause you won't get out of my way**_

I felt as if the last part of life that he had given to me was dying a slow and painful death. I had pushed him away, and I knew that this had been the last time he would come looking for me, and even though I knew it was for him, it was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life.

_**I hear you**_

_**Cause you won't quit screaming my name**_

I had never known love without sex, for me, love was merely a cover for lust. I had never felt love in the sense that he had shown to me. He had held me and cared for me without even mentioning sex at all. What he showed me was purely from the heart.

_**I feel you**_

_**Cause you won't stop touching my skin **_

I couldn't hold them back anymore and I leaned against the wall where no-one could see me, the tears rolling down my cheeks.

Yes, I admit it now - I loved him. Loved him more then anything in the past, and here I was, killing us both for his greater good.

_**I need you**_

_**Their coming to take you away**_

Images ran through my mind, like a film bent on throwing what I was losing in my face.

"_Sekka, I know it's you, you don't have to hide."_

"_Didn't I tell you to stay the fuck away from me?"_

"_I can't do that. Not while your out selling your heart."_

"_That hurt didn't it ? Are you surprised Sekka? Looks like your not an object after all. All this talk about your heart and your body, stop talking about yourself like your merchandise!"_

Yami……………

_**I see you**_

_**Cause you won't get out of my way**_

"_I was in the cafeteria when you had blood pooling from under your arm. You cutting yourself is a call for help, an SOS whether you realize it or not, and if no-one else is going to answer it, if they won't care, I will_

"_I'm not pitying you, that's not what you need."_

"_Then what do I need?" _

"_Love."_

"_Yami, tell me the truth, why are you helping me?"_

"_Because a bird with broken wings ceases to fly."_

_**I hear you**_

_**Cause you won't quit screaming my name**_

Yami………….

"_Then what is my job? And don't say to leave you, because that's not what I'm going to do."_

"_You have to I'll only hurt you."_

"_Then hurt me, and maybe then you wouldn't have to hurt yourself."_

God……….. I love him.

My eyes snapped open, realization dawning on me like a sledge hammer I turned to look back at his figure opening his car door.

Without knowing what I was doing, but going on instinct, I started to run towards him. This was right, this is what I needed to do, I needed to stay with him, now more then ever.

"Wait!"

He turned to face me, just as I reached him, throwing myself into his protective arms that caught me on instinct.

"I can't do it." I whispered into his shoulder, the tears wetting the clothing. "I can't push you away. I tried, but I couldn't. I love you." I held on to him tightly, as if I was afraid that if I let go of him he would slip away from me.

_**I feel you**_

_**Cause you won't stop touching my skin **_

"I love you too." He whispered back, and I pulled away from him to give him a quick peck on the lips, which inevitably deepened. It was the first time I had been kissed like this, the tingling sensation running through my body and into my legs, making them weak.

We pulled apart and I stared into his eyes, this time letting myself be sucked into them, letting myself be drawn to him the way that I was sure it was supposed to be.

"Let's get out of this hellhole." He said, and I nodded jumping into the passengers seat as he started the engine.

I didn't know where we were going, and frankly I didn't care. I was with him, loving him and being loved by him, and that was all that really mattered at the moment.

I had never truly believed that fate could be kind to people, I had always assumed that fate was out to destroy, harm, and kill.

But I know now that fate can give you gifts - gifts that sometimes you don't know what they are until your about to lose them.

It's only when you hit the bottom of the abyss that you realize how far you've really fallen, and there's nothing left to do but climb and try to find higher ground.

Many attempt, and many fail, but I know that, for the first time in my life, I've succeeded.

_**I need you**_

_**Their coming to take you away**_

A/N:

I know that sounded like a ending, but it wasn't don't worry! I'm sure you guys are all think 'finally!' and yes, good things are on the way, and things should be easy sailing from here……….. until I decided to throw the boat into the rocks, lol, and I'll try to have the next chapter up by Monday at the latest. Anyways, I worked really hard on forming the plot in this chapter, and I would really appreciate your guys feedback on it! Well, ja for now!


	11. StarGazer

Disclaimer: Urg……… don't own YGO, the lyrics to 'Damn' by LeAnn Rimes. End of story.

A/N: Well, hi again! Alright, this chapter and the next few after are going to be sweet and slightly fluffy, BUT don't think I'll have it that way forever, so to all you people who enjoy fics where people suffer, fear not because Sekka can and will be suffering soon enough. # Looks back at the last sentence # Fuck, I really am a sadistic writer ne? Alright, alright, enough babbling time for shout-outs:

Ok then, on with the fic!

Crystal56: Thanks for loving my work so much, lol, I really appericate it! (I know I can't spell, urg, whatever) Anyways, no don't gettoo comfy, I still have to torture and torment everyone, lol! Anyways, here's your update - enjoy!

CRAZYABOUTANIME: Yes, the long awated moment - their together! (finally ne?) Anyways, yes Yami is super kawaii (not as kawaii as Yugi though) That's why I use him for so many rooles in my fics! Anways, hope you like this chapter!

serpent-vampfreak: Hey, no sweat on the cute thing.......... I'l even admit that this chapter is cute, lol. Anyways it was nice chattingtoo you on msn, we'll haveto do it again sometime. Anyways, love ya and enjoy the update!

peachi goddess: Well alas, here's the update! Yes more to come, including character torment, lol what can I say? Anways, hope you like the fic!

WolfOfShadow: Lmao, looks like I'm not the only coffee addict on , I swear I walk around like I'm dead in teh morning if I don't have my coffee! Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Haven of Darkness: You do realize that you posted your review twice right? lol, I don't mind! Anyways, yes Sekka got her prideful ass in gear and admitted taht she loved him (awwwwwwwwwwww) Ya, I know, cuteness, cuteness, but whatever, enjoy the fic!

erm me: Hey you! Wow, that must have the shortest review you EVER wrote, lol. Teary-eyed? 0.o ok then. Wow, if you were crying at that then you'll balling at the ending, lol. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Nina wyndia: Hey, a new reviewer! # waves # Always love seeing them, lol. Ya, at least Sekka has Yami now, but don't get too comfy, lol. Anways, enjoy the update!

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter Eleven

StarGazer

I sat in the passenger's seat as he continued to drive the car into one of the more secluded places of Tokyo. According to my mental map he was heading towards a near by lake. We were silent, as most times, but this time was different.

It wasn't tension or anxiety, but merely the fact that weren't saying anything simply because no words were needed. We understood each other without the need for words.

The water swept into my sight, sparkling with sunlight that brought the liquid to shimmering life. He turned off the engine, and silence reigned again for a few moments. It was like a game to see who would mention my earlier actions first.

He won.

"Why the change of mind?" He said, and his voice alone send shivers through me, making me shudder in the warm weather. Then I chuckled, remembering the last time he asked this question.

"More of a change of heart." I recited, and by the grin on his face he remembered as well.

For the first in what seemed like ages, I smiled. A genuine smile that wasn't forced, or bitter, but just a smile - simple and natural. I turned to look at him before deciding to be a little bolder. I wasn't so timid now, I trusted him……. loved him. Slowly I rested my head on his shoulder, my back pressing against a portion of his chest.

_**There you go again when ya**_

_**Rub up against my skin**_

"I'm not going to ask what made you realize whatever you did, but I love you, and right now that's all that matters."

"I love you too." I answered back, meaning the words with everything I had. "It's so funny how you don't realize how much you really need something until it almost vanishes away from you entirely." His arm slung over his head and rested on my back, making me smile even wider.

It was so strange, I felt just like a little child with him - innocent and free, the world always bathed in light and not the harsh shadow of reality.

Was this what people wrote about in romance novels? All this useless shit about sensations and feelings? It was strange that the last person on Earth I thought I needed was really the person I had been waiting for the whole time.

"I know what you mean." He answered. "I was scared for you, that you would remain as you had been, but I wasn't going to try to force you anymore."

"And what about now?" I asked softly. "Are you still scared?"

"Yes." He replied quickly. "Some part of me will always be scared for you, but I have a feeling that you'll be ok. Your strong to have made it this far in the first place."

"It wasn't easy." I replied, looking up at his face, the sun illuminating it beautifully. I shifted so that my lips were by his neck and my arms around his shoulders. "But I'll be ok now." His lips formed into a smile, and I again experienced new and log forgotten emotions.

When he smiled, I felt like smiling myself.

It was as if we were merely an extension of the other - what he felt, I felt.

"Sekka?"

"Mmmm?" I answered, closing my eyes and letting the sun's warmth heat my skin the same way his warmth heated my heart. How long had it been since I had felt sunlight - really felt it and absorbed it? My reflection earlier told me too long.

"Would I scare you away if I asked to kiss you?" He said, making me look up at him and study his face. "I just got you, I don't want to scare you." I smiled. It was sweet that he was asking this way, just for a simple kiss.

He knew how much I was mentally 'disturbed' from sexual exploitation in the past, the times in the back seat of a car, the times in alley's, with Marik…….

"No." I answered firmly and titled my head toward him. And this time, as he closed the distance between us, I wasn't scared. True, my heart was pounding, but from an entirely different reason. His lips brushed my own lightly at first, then became bolder until it reached the point of heated.

_**I have to catch my breath**_

_**I began to sweat**_

We teased each other slightly by brushing tongues ever so often, and each time it sent new chills trough my small body.

I loved him kissing me this way, soft, gentle - nothing like the rough demanding ones of previous men that I now felt as if I could bury deep in my memory and let them fade until I forgot them completely. That girl with the haunted aqua eyes and hollowed face was dead.

She had died the moment I had thrown myself into his arms, and from the ashes a stronger being emerged.

_**Lips **_

_**Tracing down my neck**_

He pulled away slowly, not enough to make me want him, but just enough to tease. My heart was racing a mile a minute, and my breathing was quick and uneven, but it wasn't from fear.

For the first time since my early nights with Marik, I wanted sex. It wasn't just some degrading chore, but I was honestly aroused and not disgusted. True, I was still leery of male hands, but it wasn't the blinding fear that it had been in the beginning.

"I was so scared that I was going to hurt you in the end. I still am really, but I can only assume that you want me here anyway." I said, resting against his chest, the sun was beginning to set by now, casting rays of color over the water that was reflected in my eyes.

"Then your assuming right." He replied, pulling me tighter to him as if he was afraid I would slip away from him if he were to let me go. His lips brushed my neck softly before planting feather light kiss on the skin. "And I won't let anyone treat you the way they did - ever."

_**And its scaring me to death**_

_**I just learned to draw me to the cliff**_

_**Just to push me off**_

_**Just to push me off the edge**_

"You have to know something though - something I didn't tell you." I said, catching my breath as I prepared to spill out even more truth. "Marik would probably be out of jail by now, and if he is, then he'll be looking for me. He'll find me sooner or later, he's part fucking bloodhound."

"I almost hope he does." Yami replied, his voice not bothering to mask the anger and bitterness he felt towards him. "Then I'll teach him a lesson he'll never forget as long as he lives."

"You wouldn't want to do that." I warned, my voice smaller then I wanted it to be. I hated to admit that I was still scared of him, that what he did to me still haunted my dreams. "He'd kill you without a second thought."

_**Damn I hate the way you know me**_

_**And Damn **_

_**You kill me when you hold me**_

_**Like I'm your world**_

A small voice in the back of my head still whispered warnings to me - that Yami would hurt me, rape me, abuse me, leave me……….. and a small bottle of fear was still in my soul, but my trust and love dominated it.

He wasn't Marik, he was nothing like Marik at all.

"I won't let him find you." He promised. "And if he does, then I'll make sure that he never touches you again." I smiled and leaned against him more, wanting his protection, trust.

I almost wanted to yell at him, curse at him, hell hit him for making me feel this way - so trusting and caring, but I was glad that he was here. What would I have turned out like if he wasn't?

In the back of my mind I knew the horrifying answer to that question. I would still be on the streets, still a whore, and I would be dead from suicide not long after.

And still, as much as I loved his embrace, it still tore a part of me apart.

What if I hurt him? Lose him? There were just so many questions in my mind, questions that my heart didn't, and didn't want to understand.

_**Like this wont hurt**_

_**Like a favorite curse in every nerve**_

_**Damn **_

_**I'm fightin' and I'm losin' it**_

"Thank you." I whispered, a lone tear threatening to escape my eyes. I looked up at him and followed his gaze to my arms where he was studying the clothing that hide my marred flesh.

Slowly, very slowly, he reached for it, shifting me so that he could remove the zip hoodie, leaving me in just the tank top that I wore under it, the scars on my arms completely revealed. The initials, however, where still covered.

"What-"

"When I first met you, I told you that you didn't have to hide." His hand brushed one of the long purple scars before he brought my wrist to his face, nuzzling it against his cheek softly.

I didn't know what to say, do……….. hell I didn't know anything about love.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice small and unsure of itself.

_**Damn you**_

_**Your pullin' and a pushin'**_

_**I'm wrestlin' with**_

_**I toss and twist**_

_**Til finally I give in**_

_**Damn...**_

"You hurt so much inside………….. no-one should hurt this much for what they can't control." His lips brushed the scar, sending a chill down my body. The sun still glittered above us, seemingly the only witness to my death.

Yes, my death.

Even the greatest love is a suicide of everything you have - pride, emotions, your sanity. But even with that, this was a suicide that I was happy to commit.

"I could have controlled it, if I hadn't left home like a fool, if I had waited before getting involved with Marik like the naïve child I was." My voice was bitter and filled with regret for being so stupid, so selfish.

"You didn't know, and I think you've more then paid you dues for it." He replied, his voice unwavering as always.

_**I hate being addicted**_

_**Only**_

_**You would have predicted**_

"No." I replied. "Not yet. I know this can't last forever, and I don't expect it to, but I'll take it as it comes, whatever deity is up there." I pointed to the sky "Has given me enough pain to last my life - maybe their giving back what they took, but I know they'll be a price to pay in the end - there always is." A small smile graced my lips to take away from what I had said.

"But either way." He replied. "I'll make sure your alright in the end."

"Would you?" I asked softly. "Could you bear to put up with someone like me, someone selfish, bitchy, moody, temperamental -" His lips cut me off and I couldn't help but fall into him again. I didn't know how he could do that - make me give in with the simplest gestures, but he did, and how he did it is still a mystery to me.

"Stop." He whispered, his mouth inches from mine, our breath mingling as one. "I love you, I don't care about all that, it's just you, and I have to accept you as you are."

_**That I'd be told**_

_**I'd want, so then **_

_**You can see right through**_

**_You can see right through my soul_**

I smiled and pressed my nose against his, making him grin back. I didn't understand why I felt so free, like everything that had happened could just fade away into nothing and I would be safe.

"You know, Prom's coming up…………" My eyes widened at the implication. It must have been comical because he grinned and chuckled.

"You mean you actually want to be in public with me?" I asked, only half joking. "Do you even know what people say about you?"

"Let them say what they want." He replied quickly and without a second thought. "I don't care if they never talk to me again, their all superficial and shallow anyway."

_**Damn I hate the way you know me**_

_**And Damn **_

_**You kill when you hold me**_

_**Like I'm your world**_

"Ok then." I answered, even though I was nervous as hell. "I'll go." He beamed back at me and I don't know why but I laughed - laughed without having a goddamn clue as to why, and I have to say that it felt pretty damn good.

The sun started sinking, the blue sky turning into many rays and hues of red, gold, orange, and purple.

"I could stare at this forever." I said from my place in is arms.

"Me too." And together, in silence we watched the sun go down, slowly sinking out of view and bringing the darkness that I no longer feared.

"Stars." I said, grinning as the small specks of light began appearing. "When I was little I used to sit on my roof in the summer and stare up at these stars, just like this." I don't know why I said that but I just felt like it should be known. "My mom never knew, it was my secret, not a big secret, but it was mine."

_**Like this wont hurt**_

_**Like a favorite cursing every nerve**_

_**Damn **_

"I used to too, when I was smaller." Yami replied. The car seats was dropped back and the convertible roof was down and I was laying on his chest staring up at the stars with him. I loved it, and the stars made me think of how we were - two lone stars in the universe that somehow collided to make a single brighter star.

I knew the idea was stupid, but it made me smile all the same.

"Who knows then." I answered. "We might have looked at the same sky."

_**Damn you**_

_**Your pullin' and a pushin'**_

_**I'm wrestlin' with**_

_**I toss and twist**_

_**Til finally I give in**_

"Just like now?"

"Yes." I turned my head and stared into his eyes before our lips simultaneously met. And this time, I didn't even try to resist him.

I was falling, and falling hard and it was scarier then hell, but I liked it all the same. His lips pressed against mine stronger then before and wasn't even scared at all, and was willingly sinking into one hell of a deep ocean but it was ok.

As long as he's here, I would be ok. It may not last forever but what was a lifetime of hell compared to one moment of heaven?

_**I get reckless, scared, confused**_

_**I feel desperate**_

_**Soul for you**_

_**And you know it**_

_**You know it**_

_**You know what I should do**_

I didn't know the answer to that question, but I knew this much - I would go through everything again to be right here where I am, with him.

# Music fades #

A/N:

Well, it's over! Anways just in case I don't before Christmas, I just want to say to ya'll MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Oh fuck................. I still have to go shopping............... # Runs out the door then pokes head inand waves # Bye everyone, have a good one, but don't forget to leave a little Christmas gift for me on the way out # coughcough # review #coughcough # lol, bye ya'll!


	12. Burying The Past

Disclaimer: Ok seriously, do you think that if I own the damn show I'd be here at 11:30 at night writing this fic and making no money? Oh and I don't own the lyrics to 'Fear' by Disturbed. (You'll see why I used this song in a minute)

A/N: Hey again ya'll, SORRY IT TOOK SO FUCKING LONG TO UPDATE, but this chapter was kinda hard to write............. I don't know why, that and I was busy forever so ya... Grrrr.......... Ok this chapter is going to have a fight scene (not between Yami and Sekka, don't worry, lol), but it is relevant to the fic, it's not I like I just put it in there for the hell of it - I don't do that with my angst fics, lol. HAPPY NEW YA'LL! Anyways, with all that said, shout-outs:

Crystal56: Thanks! And of course they'll be romance, lol! Ya, a big change in Sekka, but don't worry, she's still Sekka under it all, heehee. This chapter shows that. You'll notiuce more changes in her as the fic progresses, are at least I hope. Anyways, enjoy the chap!

suicide-greeting: Lol, leave it you to be teh one waiting for pain, lol. Fianlly someone who doesn't think I'm evil! Well, you'll have to deal with the romance for a few more chapters, probably between 3-5 more chapters before the angst returns.......... maybe more, I dunno yet. Anyways, have fun!

peachi-goddess: Thanks fo rteh help with my shopping, lol! Ya, I managed to get it all done............. teh day before. Man, I'm worse then a guy urg! Anyways, I liked the star thing too........... I'm fascinated with night........... probably because my star sign in under ying - teh dark side of the yingyang-, which rules over the moon. I'm a Scorpio, lol.

serpent-vampfreak: Ya, it was great chattin' to ya! Hope to do it again sometime of i can ever get on msn. grrr............... anyways, like i said, I liked the star thingie too. heehee, ya teh mon's great ne? Anyways, luv ya and enjoy teh chapter!

WolfOfShadow: Yes, i admit that i do plan to screw them over, but hey, like you said, pain is what makes a story good! Man........ i'm fucking sadistic # Shrugs # oh well. Anyways, I love stargazing too, that's why i put this in here, heehee.

CRAZYABOUTANIME: I actually do think that this is my best fic so far, but you can check out my otehr wones if you want, which will be eventually printed off, burned and deleted off my harddrive, lol. Hope you like the chapter!

loathed-wolf-spirit: Hope you get to read this, lol. That's cool that you soem access to teh net. Ya, wish i could chat soon. What was the question? I think you left out a word............ or maybe I'm just retarded, lol. Anyways, luv ya!

GothicPoetOfDarkness15: Cool name dude! This was the fastest I could update, I jutst hope i don't loosing readers for not updating quick enough............ that would be a fate worse then death, lol. Anyways, hope you like the chapter!

Alrighty then, on with the fic.

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 12

Burying The Past

We stayed there, by the lake like that for a long time, talking, laughing, kissing. I felt as if there was no-one else in the world but us.

I was a great feeling, but one that was soon to be shattered by the sound of a car motor and before I knew it, headlights were blinding me. The shouts of partying teens filled my ears and before I knew it the car was beside Yami's.

"Check out the love birds." One male said, laughing.

"Damn she's hot." Another commented. "I'd like to see what she's like in the sack." Anger boiled inside me and before I knew it I sat up, glaring at the males.

"Glad you'll never know." I shot back, the light catching my face. He studied me for a moment before he smirked.

"I know you……." He said, and I froze, I had just recognized myself……. one of my former 'customers'. "Your that whore I fucked…….. hey baby, we got room for you back here." He gestured to the back seat and I saw red.

Yami bolted up, anger flashing in his eyes but I rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me." I whispered in his ear before climbing out of the car, the men laughed again, one of them eyeing me as if I was a dinner dish.

"Hey hun, did I catch you in the middle of work?" He said before turning to his friends. "Look like she's pissed." He said with a laugh. "Fiery little slut bitch."

# Fear starts #

"Then get your ass out here mother fucker." I shot back, glaring like I had never glared before. "Unless your too fucking chicken shit."

"Sekka don't." Yami said from the car but I turned back at him.

"Don't worry." I replied. "As much as I hated Marik he did do one good thing for me - he taught me how to fight." The car door opened and the big mouth stepped out of the car.

"I don't usually fight girls, but I guess whores don't count." He smirked before cracking his knuckles, but I wasn't scared - I had eaten more lately so I wasn't as weak.

"Step up or shut up." I snarled and he swung for me, but I ducked, remembering all my fighting moves clearly. I had been in street fighting for awhile so I could hold my own. I shot my leg out, hitting him the stomach, making him double over.

_**Reject**_

_**Are you no one**_

_**Feel you nothing**_

"Fucking whore." He snarled before grabbing me and punching me across the face. The force of the blow slammed me into the car and I grabbed the door for support.

"Don't Yami." I said, not even having to look up to know that he was about to rip the guy's head off. "I have to go this on my own - please. It's the only way I can truly put this behind me." I looked up and saw him nod, my gaze then shifted to my opponent. "Your dead."

And that was it, I stopped thinking, going purely on instinct and letting out all the pain, anger and hate that I had felt for the all the men that had used me in the past.

He represented them all and when I looked at him, I didn't see him but Marik.

Without thinking I got and charged at him, throwing my entire body weight into his chest, successfully knocking him over. We both hit the sand and rolled until I was on top of him. I locked my legs around his torso and brought back my fist.

I hit him squarely in the jaw but didn't stop for a moment. All I saw was Marik, and all the hate that I had felt for him and locked up inside me was coming out in one gigantic tirade.

"Never again!" I yelled, hitting him with every syllable. "Never again will you fucking touch me you fucking low down bastard!"

_**You know I'll bet you think**_

_**You have a good reason to be living**_

_**In the limelight of the fortunate ones**_

_**you're too weakened by the poison**_

_**That they feed you in the living lie**_

_**They don't believe you**_

I heard him screaming in pain and I guess that it was that brought me back. I stopped, panting for breath as I tried to calm myself.

_**Care to no one**_

_**Trust in nothing**_

_**Little impotent one**_

"Don't ever fucking touch me." I snarled, slowly standing up and letting the guy breathe. His hands went to his nose and he was cursing at me but I didn't care.

He couldn't do anything.

I licked my lips and tasted blood. My lip was cut from the punch that he landed, but that didn't concern me. I didn't give a fuck about him - that is, until he came up behind me.

_**I don't wanna be, I don't wanna be innocent, you know**_

_**I don't want to let them hypnotize me**_

Before I knew it I was on the sand again and then grabbed by my shirt and tossed against his car. The door handle hit my back but I gritted my teeth against crying out in pain. I didn't want him to see that he could hurt me.

I used the door for support, breathing through the pain. Glancing at Yami I could see that it took all of his control to stay in the car, and I was touched that he respected my enough to see just how much this all meant.

"Fucking goddamn WHORE!" The yelled, grabbing my head and hitting it against the door before throwing me to the ground again.

Anger boiled in me so hot that I thought I might melt my insides, but it wasn't discouraged. The more shit he did to me, the more I wanted to prove him wrong. Lifting myself I turned and spun into a spin kick that hit him in the side of the head.

"Fuck you, your such a fucking coward, coming up behind me when I didn't even know it. Just how fucking low are you, you lowdown bitch?" I replied glaring down at him as he turned his head to glare back, but I wasn't about to give him to get up and raise more hell.

I grabbed his head and slammed it into the tire of his car before stomping down on his chest and backing up.

_**Punk ass, are you listening**_

_**Can you hear me or are you deaf and dumb to my language**_

_**Do the real words seem to hurt you**_

_**Well put em' up motherfucker**_

He got slowly, blood coming from his lip before he turned and looked at me with utter loathing written on his face. He came at me, grabbing my shirt and slamming me into the car. His friends shouts could be heard from inside but at the moment I didn't give a damn about anything but kicking his damn ass.

"You think your such a tough bitch huh?" He drawled and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Well, you don't have shit baby."

"Really?" I snarled, my eyes burning into his. "Neither do you." He laughed before taking me and slamming me into the metal, the door handle once again jabbing into my back.

"Not so tough now are you? Fucking cunt." I didn't say anything but stared at him coldly.

"We'll see." In one swift movement I dropped down and punched him in the stomach before rolling between his legs and getting up to elbow him in neck.

_**You'll feel it**_

_**When I stamp it on your forehead**_

_**So you will never forget **_

_**That you're a reject**_

He hit the car and then the sand, yelling and cursing at me as if I was Satan himself. And I laughed - actually laughed at that.

He got back up but it was dark and I lost sight of him for a moment until I felt someone grab me from behind, their arm around my throat.

_**And you're a no one**_

_**And you're nothing**_

_**Little impotent one**_

"I suppose you think it's so funny huh? Think that just because you can a land a few punches on me that your automatically this hard bitch huh?" His grip tightened, making me struggle for breath. My hands beat on his arm uselessly while I tried to find some way out of the hold that I was in. "Huh, answer me!"

"Sekka!" Yami shouted from the car and I managed to turn my head so that I could see him.

"I'm ok." I choked out. "I'll be fine."

_**Fear awaken**_

_**Go with it now**_

_**And let it overcome you**_

"You should have your little boyfriend come and get you - unless you want me to choke you to fucking death."

"You wouldn't." I bit back angrily dispite the fact that air was becoming a major problem. "You don't have the fucking guts." His grip again tightened and his lips were near my ear, just close enough so that I could hear his next comment.

"Don't I." At this point I couldn't breathe - my lungs felt like they were going to burst if I didn't breathe soon. "I could kill you right here and your boyfriend would be next."

My eyes closed as I tried to ignore the screaming in my lungs. My limbs were getting weak……..

_**Fear awaken**_

_**Your mind is racing**_

"No!" My eyes snapped open and I drew back my arm hitting him in the stomach - hard. He released his hold on me and I gasped for breath, the adrenaline rush from my fear slowly fading out, but I still felt it all the same.

_**I don't understand why you don't like me**_

_**Why don't you like me?**_

Without thinking I again tackled him, hitting every piece of the little bastard that I could find.

"You tried to fucking kill me! You mother fucker, you tried to fucking kill me!" I shouted this over and over again, my focus solely on causing him as much bodily injury as possible.

_**Am I so different from you**_

_**Now does it scare you that I'm able to discern **_

_**What to love and what to burn**_

His face flickered to Marik's, adding fuel to the already dangerous fire that was burning inside me. One of the guys friends jumped out of the car but I just glared at him and he wisely kept his distance.

_**I'll add your fuel to the fire now**_

_**Stand back, brother take your hand back**_

He was screaming under me again, but I didn't stop - didn't even want to stop.

"Sekka!" I felt someone's hands grabbing my shoulders and I turned to swing at who it was, but stopping as I realized it was Yami. "Sekka, stop, you've done enough! Look at him!" I followed his gaze down to the guys face and saw what Yami meant.

His face was bleeding, mostly form his nose which I though might be broken and his face was already swelling. He was screaming at me, damning and cursing me, but I didn't care.

_**Leave it and I might crack**_

_**More than a smile or two you see**_

I looked down at my hands which were covered in his blood and as crazy as it sounds I liked it - enjoyed it.

For once the blood on my hands wasn't from anyone beating me or raping, or cutting me - it was because I had the strength and will to stand up and fight back. The blood wasn't because I had been beaten up, but because I had beat someone else up.

_**Don't judge what you don't understand**_

_**You can't deny what has been given to me **_

Slowly I got up turning to Yami who had a slight smirk on his face as he gazed down at the man.

"That was for all the shit I couldn't say before." Was the only explanation I gave before turning and jumping over the door and into the passenger's seat, Yami in the driver's. Silence ruled for a few moments before I started laughing.

I was that happy. I knew that a few years ago I wouldn't have had the guts to do what I had just done and now I could because I wasn't scared anymore.

"Should I ask why your laughing?" I shook my head, still laughing. Hell, he must have thought I was nuts, but I couldn't stop. Finally I caught my breath and looked over at him.

_**I don't want to be innocent, you know**_

_**I don't want to let them hypnotize me**_

"Just ironic that's all." I answered. If he was confused, he didn't show it and I suppose it was just as well. "Just a little step on the road to letting it all go." He still didn't say anything but I knew that he knew what I was saying.

"Come on." He said, making a turn so that I could see a wave of lights ahead of me, dotting the city. "Let's go home." _Home_ the word sent tingles through me. How long had it been since I had actually had a home, not just a living space, but I home were I felt warm and safe. Too damn long.

"Ya." I echoed. "Home."

he drive back into the city was quite, and I loved it. The anger in my blood was simmering, being locked back into it's cage so to speak, but I still couldn't stop grinning.

I was still in high spirits when we turned into his driveway, the large house looming above us. And suddenly, I was nervous again. His parents? What would they think of me? Would they know the truth with one look at me?

As if reading my mind, He reached out and grabbed my hand.

"It'll be ok." I nodded weakly before taking a breath and stepping out of the car. The cool night air was relaxing and his arm slung over my shoulder was even better. The door loomed ahead of me, but I forced myself to keep walking.

He knocked and the butler opened the door, greeting us.

"Evening." He said before looking at me, wondering just the same hell I was. "And you are……."

"Sekka." I answered, my voice surprisingly confident. "Sekka Tate."

"Miss. Tate." He replied, holding out his hand. "Welcome." I nodded before walking in after Yami who handed him his over shirt leaving him in only a black muscle shirt.

Damn.

"Thank you." He said to the older man. "We won't be needing anything else." The butler nodded and left us to our own thing. He turned to me. "I guess you'll want a shower." I nodded.

"Would be nice." I replied before grinning a little. "But no peeking this time." He grinned and shook his head as we mounted the stairs, stopping at the bathroom.

"Well, my room's just over there, drop in to say goodnight when your done." I nodded and stepped into the room. I couldn't describe it, but I was feeling a little distant since I had stepped into this house. I was almost afraid to show him affection here - not that I wasn't afraid when I wasn't - but it was worse here.

I mentally shook myself before undressing, my eyes catching the full-length mirror. Hell, I had never realized how scarred I really was.

My arms were almost entirely white, but not the shimmering white that snow was, this skin looked almost as if it belonged on a corpse. But then again, with all my ribs showing, I looked like a damn corpse. An eerie chill went through me and I jumped under the faucet, hoping that the warm water would chase it away.

At some point one of the maids came in and laid night wear out for me, I thanked her although I could hardly hear her over the water.

I washed my hair, shaved, and was actually clean for once! Stepping out of the shower I saw the night wear that the women had left out for me.

It was white silk.

White.

I hadn't worn that color for years……….. it was the color of innocence, purity, life. Slowly I reached out and picked it up. The material was thin, but not to thin. I put it on, liking the feeling of the silk against my bare skin.

I made my way to Yami's room at a leisurely pace and knocked on the door. He opened it, shirtless, just a pair of cotton pants on, for sleeping I would assume.

We were silent for a moment, each noticing the way the other was dressed. It was a long moment before he said anything.

"Coming in?" I nodded and followed him in, taking in his large room before turning back to him.

"You wanted me to say goodnight so………"

"Goodnight." He replied and I turned to leave before he stopped me. "Sekka?" I turned around.

"Yes?"

"You could stay here if you want, I won't do anything I swear." He held his hands up as if the prove that he wasn't going to hurt me. My better judgment, the side of me that had lain with men hundreds of times screamed at me to get the sam hell out of the room and lock the door, but the other side of me - the side that was slowly changing, wanted to stay.

I compromised by not doing either at the moment.

"If you want to leave-"

"No." I answered, making him stop. "I'll stay. I know you won't hurt me." My mind was screaming at me, nearly making me internally deaf but I moved towards the bed all the same. I was scared, of course I was scared, but I knew it was a fear of men that I had to get over.

Slowly I slipped in beside him, my damp hair resting on the pillow which smelt like him - I breathed the scent in. I liked it maybe because it wasn't the smell of lust that I was so accustomed to.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice smooth and rough at the same time.

"Yes." I answered softly, and then tentatively, I felt his arm snake over my tiny waist pausing for a moment to give the opportunity to push him away if I wanted, but I didn't and he pulled me into him. The warmth of his chest soaking through the thin silk and straight into my back.

"I love you." He mumbled, planting a small kiss on my neck before turning and placing a kiss on my cheek.

"I love you too." I whispered, the words still foreign to me. Then, on pure impulse, I turned around and caught his lips with my own. We stayed that way for a moment before he deepened it and breaking away.

"Night." He said, laying back down beside me and closing his ruby red eyes. I closed mine too, sleep instantly trying to claim me.

"Night." I muttered back, praying that the dark hands of my nightmares couldn't touch me as long as I was in his embrace.

A/N:

Ok then! I hoped you guys liked this chapter, and next chapter is going to have some more of that symbolic dream stuff, so ya know………. Anyways, I'm hoping to have the prom scene done soon because most of what I have planned for this fic is after that scene. And for all you lemon lovers out there, don't worry….. Yami and Sekka will have a lemon coming up in a little bit. Anyways, you all know what to do, lol!


	13. One Last Nightmare

Disclaimer: Lazily points to previous chapters Get the picture? I don't own the lyrics to 'Just Close Your Eyes' by Waterproof Blonde either. But I do, however, own the poem that Sekka wrote in this chapter, and it is copyrighted.

A/N: Hidee ho ya'll! Ok, this chapter is going to be weird ok, a lot of images and sounds jumping around and blurring together but I hope that some of you will be able to make sense of it. Ok, also, to anyone that cares I have a really awesome book that I think ya'll should read - you might have the movie already but the book is WAY better. White Oleander by Janet Fitch. I love it, hell I was till 3 in the morning reading it last night…… heehee, and WolfOfShadow, don't even start on how I should sleep……….. I'm practically nocturnal, lol. Ok then, shout-outs:

Crystal56: You count the numberr of swears...0.o that'a a little odd, but I liek odd people they make me feel at home, lol! Anyways, yes fuck is one of the most versitile words in the world! Cool ne? Anyways, shouldn't be much swears in this chapter, hope you like it!

peachi goddess: Well, I've updated! Thanks for liking this fic. Anyways, hope you like this chapter!

Screwed By Life: Gotta love the name! Lol, it's awesome dude! Anyways, always love seeing new reviewers, I hope you like this chapter! Anyways, look forward to seeing ya again!

CRAZYABOUTANIME: You are a big fan of the CAPS button aren't you, lol! Me yoo, it's make everything more noticeable, lol! Anways, here's the update, hopeyou like this chapter!

GothPoetofDarkness15: No problem, you name does rock! Anyways, there's more fluff ahead until I decide to screw poor Sekka over again, lol! Anyways hope you like this chap!

WolfOfShadow-blush - Always worth it? Thanks a ton! I know that I shouldn't worry, but this fic is really doing well and I want to sort of keep up with everyone. Anyways, thanks again, hope you like this chapter!

olifantje-emma: Anotehr newbie? YAY- hug, lol. Anyways, glad you likethis fic and I'lltry to keep updates timely. Anyways, hope you like thsi chap and I look forward toseeing ya gain!

Ok then, on with the fic.

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter Thirteen

One Last Nightmare

_This place………..why was it that always I would return to this place?_

_I didn't want to be here, in this dark tunnel, the dim light coming from the room that I didn't want to enter, but was powerless not too._

_And the singing, always that haunting singing, the words that I could never quite grasp._

_But the voice was stronger this time, and the haunting voice seemed to come from every direction, engulfing and wrapping me into it. _

_Laughing, was it laughing I heard this time? Always it had been crying………… the little girl scarred in the burning box of coal-like sand._

_The voice carried me with it, and for the fist time, I could hear the words clear as bells in a chapel._

_**Deceived by my eyes **_

_**And all I was told I should see**_

_The bright light of the forbidden door loomed closer until it opened, the light hitting my eyes, but for some reason, it didn't blind me. Just beyond the realms of what I should have seen, I saw her again - the child that looked so like me._

"_You've come again." She said with a smile, but her eyes still looked nothing like a child's. "I knew you would." I was confused. Come back? This wasn't my choice. Her face saddened as she looked at me with those misty aqua-blue eyes. "But, she won't be happy."_

_I was about to ask who, but the answer came quickly. _

_The black haired replica of me, the whore with the black eyes and ever-dripping crimson blood._

_**Opinions not mine**_

_**The person they taught me to be**_

_The child's eyes widened with fear, but too late I realized why. _

_Something hit me in the back, knocking me to the ground that I wasn't even sure was there - it was too bright to be anything but light._

_I turned around and felt the blood in my blood turn cold - if I even had blood here. Cruel lavender eyes stared back into mine, a sadistic smirk planted firmly on his lips._

_I wanted to scream, but I knew that even I did, no sound would come out. Instead, it was his name that passed my lips in a small whisper._

"_Marik."_

_**One night in the dark**_

_**A vision of someone I knew**_

_He said nothing, he didn't need too. The child ran towards me, no doubt trying to help, but I knew that he was sadistic with no sense of morals…….. he would kill her too if she were to get in his way._

"_Get back!" I yelled, but my voice was small, and hollow and of no use at all. He turned from me to the small girl that suddenly looked afraid. He reached into his pocket and produced what I knew was going to be a gun._

_Sometime I knew I had to have moved, and fast, but I still can't remember when or doing it at all. But either way, when the gunshot, it was the shoulder blade of my dream body that it pierced, and not the child's. Instantly, my shoulder was filled with phantom pain that I swore was real._

_I looked at the girl and she smiled at me, her small eyes now with the look that it should have - the look of youth._

"_I knew you could do it, if you tried." She said, then looked at my shoulder. I follow d her gaze and widen my eyes - the would was healed already, just a faint glowing of ethereal light_

_My focus turned back to Marik…………… but the image had changed. It wasn't Marik anymore, but my dark replica, still holding the gun, a smirk on her crimsoned lips. _

"_Well done." She said, smiling icily at me. Her arms, easily seen in the revealing clothes she wore, were scarred and bleeding freely, but she seemed not to care. "But even if you save your past" she gestured to the girl "You won't save your future."_

_**And in the darkness I saw**_

_**A voce say 'I'm you'**_

_I was wondering what she was talking about when it clicked - the stages of my life. Past, present, future, but, which one was I?_

"_Your not real." I said to her, defiance in my eyes. "There's nothing you can do to me." She smiled, then smirked._

"_I'm alive enough." She said, making me confused again. Why did she always have to talk in fucking riddles? _

"_For what?" _

"_To destroy you before you destroy yourself." With that, she charged at me, and as dreams often do, she seemed to move in both lightening speed and slow motion all at once. She grabbed my shoulder - the right one where his initials were - and smirked_

_Instantly, pain filled my body, the initials blazing through my clothing with red light, my dream flesh being tore open with an invisible forced, blood pouring out of the freshly remade initials._

_But I hardly noticed, my mind was somewhere else, trapped in another hellish place I could never forget._

_**Inside me a light was turned on**_

_**Then I was alive**_

_Images swam in my vision, me as a child, crying in the middle of my darkened room with no-one to hold me._

_Myself, in school, fighting against three boys with sticks, one of them cheering because he had been the first one to make me bleed. _(A/N: That actually happened to me by the way…………)

_Then, he came into my vision. I tried to close my eyes, to not see what he was doing to me in my memories, to blot out the horror and cling to my frail hope like a vice. But fate wasn't so kind to me._

_His voice filled my ears, surprisingly easy to her amongst my screams in the back ground._

_**And if you close your eyes your light**_

_**Will make the truth reveal**_

_I couldn't hear all the sentences, just bits and pieces, but the singing pounded in my head, stronger then ever._

"_Thought you could get away…………_

_bitch, your nothing but…………_

_whore……_

_wench………………_

_useless……_

_easy piece of ass………_

_worthless…………_

"_Stop!" I don't know if I screamed this or not, it was impossible to tell over the noise in my head._

"_Tell me babe…………_

_does it burn?…………"_

_My head swam with images of him raping me, burning me, cutting me, beating me, and the initials in my shoulder still bleed with a fire-like blood._

_**Dreams you've never lived and scars never healed**_

_**In the darkness light will take you to the other side**_

_**And find it waiting there**_

_**You'll see if you just close your eyes**_

_I was screaming now, I was sure of it. So helpless, trapped inside this mental hell. Useless, defenseless, shutting my eyes to try and shut out a demon that I knew I couldn't face down._

_All I could do was try and wait out this storm, this hell. _

_**My song pasted by **_

_**Trapped inside somebody's dream**_

_More images, the color of my blood on his hands, of the knife that he had once again mutilated me with, the lighter, the flame………… the screams, the pain._

_The sound of my fear of he raped me for the first time, and there was a louder scream in my brain. None so loud as to block out the thunder and rage. Maybe it was the loudest to me because it had never been uttered._

_I watched it all over again as he did it, then leaving me to go somewhere, probably get high of fuck some cheap little whore - he always cheated on me. I remembered the feeling, the numbness, the hatred…… the weakness._

_**Too close to the fire**_

_**Yet cold and so numb with the pain**_

_Hoe much more of this could I take……… caged, with the walls coming in to crush me completely. Then, the image turned, as if I was no longer invisible, but in plain view. My heart, if I had one, stopped as he reached out for me, clawing just outside my reach._

_Then I saw the shadow behind him, just for a second. _

_Yami's face, a small expression on his face that I couldn't quite identify, and then he faded, back into the darkness._

"_NO!" I yelled, kicking my feet out and hitting Marik in the stomach before grabbing his shirt. "IT DOESN'T MATTER!" I yelled, by body filling with new strength. "YOUR NOTHING, I DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE! IT DOESN'T MATTER!"_

_**And the fever is broken**_

_**And the river has run to the sea**_

_**Washed in the ocean **_

_**And saved by your voice inside me**_

_For a moment, I was shocked. Surprised at myself for what I had just done, but before I could do anything, I jolted and opened my eyes to see my dark replica staring down at me, before turning and walking away, standing on the white horizon with out a word._

_The little girl was smiling and I looked down at my shoulder which again, was healed, the letters glowing in the same eerie whiteness as before. _

_**Inside me a light was turned on**_

_**Then I was alive**_

_The girl smiled at me, and said nothing but ran towards the other women, I wanted to scream at her to get back here, but something stopped me and I watched with amazement as the child took her hand and walked into the never-ending nothingness. _

_**And if you close your eyes your light**_

_**Will make the truth reveal**_

_**Dreams you've never lived and scars never healed**_

_Then, suddenly, as unexplained as daisies in winter, I laughed at the irony of it all. _

_It was me they needed the whole time, to make my choice_

_In the end, it was my own laughter that woke me._

_**In the darkness light will take you to the other side**_

_**And find it waiting there**_

_**You'll see if you just close your eyes**_

My eyes opened at the sound coming from me in the waking world. For as long as I lived I could quite place it - it sounded half like laughing, half like crying.

"Sekka?" His voice was thick with sleep and concern, his ruby gaze fixing on me, no doubt noticing my tear dampened face. "Sekka, what's wrong?" I couldn't say anything, all I could do was shake my head, silently telling him I was fine. When I found I could speak I turned to him.

"Just a dream." I told him, the repeated it to myself, as if the convince me. "Just a dream." He nodded and I lay beside him, again letting sleep claim me.

That was the last nightmare that ever plagued me when I was with him.

(A/N: I was thinking of it there……… but I wanted to get more scene in……….. LOVE ME DAMMIT! lol.)

Next morning.

The sunlight streamed through the window, hitting my eyes and waking me. Instantly I knew that he wasn't there, and I wondered what time it was.

The clock read 10:30. My first thought was that I was late for school - again, but then I remembered that it was a Saturday. I

I could hear running water and called his name but there was no reply. Frowning, I lifted myself from bed and knocked on the door.

"Yami?" The water stopped and I could rustling around before the door opened, revealing him in nothing but a white towel, the water still glistening on his bronzed chest. We stared at each other for a moment before I was the first to speak.

"Morning." He nodded and smiled.

"Breakfast is waiting downstairs - I'll be down in a minute." I was happy I could have kissed him. Breakfast! How long had it been since I had a hot breakfast, fuck, I couldn't even remember. I nodded and went back into his room in search of clothes.

The had already been lain out for me. A dark blue sweater with off-shoulder sleeves and a pair of comfortable looking pants. I stepped out of my nightgown and changed into the clothes that smelt like fabric softener.

Breakfast went by quickly, Yami coming down a few minutes after me. The butler asked me what I wanted and I just said anything that was hot. He brought back Belgian Waffles, which I devoured. The butler took my dishes and I stood up.

"I'm going outside for a minute." I said and darted upstairs to grab my purse.

"You wouldn't happen to be smoking would you?" He asked with a look that said he already knew the answer. I didn't reply and he half rolled his at me before I closed the door.

When I was done, I went back inside and tried to think of where he might be in this maze. Luckily, he found me first.

"Forgetting something?" He said, coming up behind me and slapping a black binder into my hands. My poetry book. Our eyes met, and I silently asked him if he had looked in it.

"I didn't read it." He replied. "I was hoping you'd read it yourself." I was silent for a minute.

"I'm not very good."

"Doesn't matter." He answered. "I've seen your art, you have to be good at writing too." I took a deep breath and opened the binder, selecting a piece that I had written a few years ago.

"For all she could live through and survive,

Why is that she lays down like this,

Defeated again,

The hand of the master,

The pain of the whip that strikes the cringing dog,

The fear of the choker binds her to chain,

But from her place on the ground ,

She looks for the existence, the reason,

For the darkness that blinds her from the light,

But just as well,

Light can blind the untrained eye,

The sun rising outside the door,

Does not penetrate the silence of her heart,

The warmth cannot touch her icy skin,

The moon is her ruling planet,

Frozen in the darkness of space." The last words left my mouth, leaving us in silence. I could tell that he knew damn well who the poem was about, but I didn't say anything.

He didn't speak.

I knew he couldn't speak.

A/N:

Well, there it is! The poem was about her and Marik if you couldn't guess from the words, lol. Anyways, I'm going to hold my little competition with the dream thing again - person who guesses the closet gets the chapter dedicated to them! And don't worry, the fic is going to pick up from here on out, but she won't be getting tortured - much - for a little while yet, so follow sadists, please be patient! Anyways, not much else to say except please leave a review and tell me what you think!


	14. Back Across The Ocean

Disclaimer: Don't own YGO, only Sekka and anyone else that isn't in the show. I don't own the lyrics to 'Ugly' by The Exies either.

A/N: Hello, hello! How's it going everyone? This chapter is going to be set about two weeks after the last chapter, but it's going to have all the info that's relevant to the story in italics. I figured I'd be boring if I went day by day forever so ya……….. Also, some memories of her childhood, also in italics, I just hope you guys don't get confused, but I'll try to make it clear and understandable to the best of my ability.

Ok, seeing as next to no-one gave me dream ideas, I would say that the chapter would have to go out to GothPoetofDarkness15 seeing as only one other person guessed, but she was the closet so enjoy the chapter!

Anyways, The song for this chapter may not seem to fit the chapter at all times, but other then being just this chapter, it's the stories 'theme song' if you will and I needed a place to put it and this seemed best.. Anyways, without further ado, shout-outs:

Crystal56: Hey man, don't apoligize for being werid! Hell, if I apoligized for everytime I was weird...that's all you'd hear from me, lol! Actually, the poem that I wrote was speacially for this fic, but it could apply to the 'old me' as I would call it, seeing as I've trhough a lot of changes in the past few months. Good guess, but Gothic was closer...sorry.

WolfOfShadow: Wow, that is a long time without sleep, lol! Anyways, thanks for liking the poem and the song choice. Try to download the song if you can it's AWESOME. You have no idea how fucking long it took me to find a song for that chapter but then I heard this one and I'm like "Thank God!", lol. Anways, hope you like the chapter!

olifantje-emma: I know, I love Belgian waffles even though I've had them like, once in my life, lol! Anyways, here's your update, hope ya like it!

CRAZYABOUTANIME: Yes, In Open My Eyes, it does involve Yami/OC as well as Seto/OC, Bakura/OC. and Duke/OC. I can't right a fic without an OC unless it's a one shot...go figure. It's not my best fic ever, but check it out if you want! Anways, catch ya later!

kirei31: Hey! New reviewer- Hug - lol, hope you don't mind. Yes, you can never give up, because things do get better, and I'm living proof of it! Anyways, hope you like this chapter!

GothPoetofDarkness15: Congrats on getting the right answer! It was about getting over her past and learnign to live in her future, thus saving it. Does that make sense? Meh. Anyways, hope you like this chapter, it's yours, lol!

Ok then, with all that said, on with the chapter!

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 14

Back Across The Ocean

Two weeks later I stood on the balcony that came out of my room.

The sun was full and golden - the promise of life.

I didn't know exactly where Yami was at the moment, but I wasn't worried in the least.

Memories of the past weeks swirled in my mind - the first two weeks back to school as a couple. I hadn't been easy, but I knew that I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

Not a word, not a tear, not a whisper.

_**Are you ugly**_

_**A liar like me**_

_The dawn of Monday burned bright, not shadowed by any promise of rain to steal my strength. _

_The back of the limo was comfortable, enhanced by the man I was leaning on. I was nervous, so nervous that for a moment, I was sure that I was going to be sick, but thankfully, the butterflies in my stomach hadn't completely taken over. _

_Maybe the hardest moment had been getting out of the limo - dressed as a proper girl, in a casual T-shirt with a sweater over it - I wasn't quite comfortable displaying my healing scars just yet - and a pair of baggy cargo's that weren't overly gothic. _

_Serenity, the little sister of Yami's only real friend, Joey Wheeler, had insisted on taking me shopping._

_The moment the door opened, revealing the renewed and refreshed Sekka Tate that I was, I knew I couldn't go back now, as much as I wanted to run and hide like a child._

_However, I steeled my nerve and stepped out of the car._

_**A user with a lost soul**_

_**Someone you don't know**_

_Instantly, silence reined the school grounds, followed by the explosive sound of whispering._

_Yami rested a hand on my shoulder and I smiled gently, walking past a group of girl without so much as a glance toward them._

_Let them say what they want, do what they want._

_They were nothing to me - tiny pesky bugs that stung for a moment before the pain vanished as if it never was._

_Maybe the old me would have cared, would have hated them, hurt them. _

_But I wasn't that girl anymore._

_She was dead._

_She had been thrown to the wasteside on the Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, burned, and from the ashes a phoenix had emerged._

_I was that phoenix, my life recharged from death, my red and golden wings proudly displayed as I soared into the blue sky. _

_**Money, it's no cure**_

_**A sickness so pure**_

I smiled at the memory, at my achievement.

I may seem small to anyone else, but to me, well, it seemed the only good thing I had done in my entire life besides falling in love.

The door opened inside my room and seconds later, he stepped onto the balcony, standing beside me - my only ally in the private war I fought.

"What are you think about?"

"Life." I replied with a smile. It struck at bizarre this love was. We didn't speak a lot, but we understood each other's chemistry beyond belief.

"And?"

"It's not so bad." He smiled and I leaned into him, feeling his body warmth threw the shirt he wore.

_**Are you like me**_

_**Are you ugly**_

"_Hey Yami, get down here!" I cringed at the sound of Trish - Yami's ex-girlfriends - voice. _

"_You better go." I said. "I'll stay here." _

"_Why not come with me?"_

"_Alright." I turned towards the door, opened it and walked downstairs, him behind me. The moment she saw me, I saw a flicker of loathing on her face before it was replaced with a false smile._

"_Hi Sekka." She said in a fake, high pitched cheery voice that was annoying as hell. "Didn't you'd be here." She said the last sentence in a friendly voice, but I could sense the storm that was lurking under the artificial sunshine._

_**We are dead**_

_**We are alone**_

_**You know were far from sober**_

"_I live here." I replied coolly_

"_Oh." She turned to Yami, silently snubbing me. "I was wondering if you wanted to come to the club tonight with me and some of my friends." He glanced at me and I shrugged._

"_Not really." She looked disappointed for a moment before she smiled, one that looked rather a lot like the smile of a snake before it bites you, and I wondered what her poison was._

_**Were are fake**_

_**We are afraid**_

"_Oh." She answered. "Well, I can understand if you want to stay here and have fun. I mean, it's not like your not having your own private party in your club every night ne?" I had never seen anyone's head snap in one direction so fast in my life._

"_Leave Trish." He growled at the blonde that just smiled and turned away, casting one last look - and comment - over her shoulder._

"_Well, just remember babe, if you ever want to get rid of easy trash - I'll be here." My fingernails dug into my palms so hard that I was sure I had to be bleeding. This time, it was different - this wasn't some petty rumor, this was my pride._

_I started half-walking, half-running in her direction, fury written on every feature. In the end though, I was thankful for the hand that grasped my arm, stopping me._

"_Leave her." Yami muttered in my ear. "She's not worth it." Her brown eyes met mine and, although she was smiling pleasantly, her eyes were smirking me, taunting me, daring me to react in front of him - to show him the killer that everyone was sure I was inside._

_I said nothing to her, only turned away. _

_But I knew that she wouldn't let it go at this, no._

_The rumors, the rivalry - it was only beginning._

_**You know it's far from over**_

I guess my eyes must have darkened to his view, because he was peering at me when my mind returned to the present.

"Sekka?"

"huh?" I said, turning to him.

"Something wrong?" I shook my head and grinned at him.

"I'm fine, just thinking of how much we've been through these past two weeks."

_**We are dead**_

_**We are alone**_

_**You know were far from sober**_

"Don't worry about Trish." He replied, with a little smile on his face. "I broke up with her when I found out that she was cheating on me with one of my 'friends'."

"Some friend."

"That's the way it is when you have money behind your name." He answered with a sigh. Silence ruled for a few moments before I spoke again.

"There are more important things." I said, and turned to kiss him soundly on his lips. That was another thing that I was thankful for. Despite us living together, and sleeping in the same bed - I had my own room, but I had never slept in it - we had a very non-sexual relationship. Sure, he aroused me, but there was no real tension.

He smiled at me in a slightly teasing way that told me that he was about to bug me in some way.

"You know - the prom's getting closer." I groaned and playfully slapped him.

"Don't remind me." He laughed at this. We had been talking before when I blandly told him that dresses and me DID NOT MIX! And ever since, it had been the annoying stick that he used to poke me with.

"I should have Serenity take you shopping." This was said with an impish grin of amusement as my expression changed to what I must have assumed was a comical expression.

"NO!" I shouted then laughed.

_**Look closer**_

_**Are you like me**_

_**Are you ugly**_

_The next day, after Trish had come to Yami's, I wasn't surprised to see people giving me disapproving glances, with men wolf whistling and jeering at me with sexuality._

_For once, it was me that had to hold Yami back from attacking one male that freely invited me to his 'private party'. _

_Yes, I was angry, my pride taking a few good knocks, but for some reason, I found that I could restrain myself from using physical violence. Maybe because I had beaten that man at the beach for all the men that had hurt me._

_My slat had been wiped clean. _

_2 days later, I found out the rumor that Trish had spread that had caused some much male attention:_

_That when she had come to visit, she had walked in on us._

_I could have killed her - literally._

_I guess everyone's assumptions on one thing was right though - I did have a killer locked inside me somewhere. In a deep place within my soul that I even avoided from fear of the fire that burned there._

_And yet, I did nothing to Trish._

_To the men of the school I was whore, a slut._

_But I wasn't worried._

_I knew that in time that - as rumors so often do - it would fade out, fizzle out of memory and time._

_But until then, they couldn't hurt me._

_Their words couldn't penetrate the shield that surrounded me - Yami's shield of love and trust._

_**Turn a blind eye**_

_**Why do I deny**_

Then, as I so often did, I began laughing without an inkling as to why. Maybe it was because I hadn't laughed for 6 years of my life and I felt I needed to make up for lost joy.

Who the fuck knew, what mattered was that I could laugh again.

_**That I came here**_

_**So I'd die happy**_

He gave me an odd look and shook his head.

"You keep doing and people are going to start wondering." He joked and I just smiled at him, actually having cheeks now. Since I had started having three meals everyday like normal people, I had started gaining weight - which was a good thing. I had looked like a skeleton before with my skin stretched over my ribs like elastic.

"If it's any help - I think they already wonder." At this he full-out laughed, but my brows were furrowed in thought with a question that had been nagging at me for awhile. "So Yami, when are your parents getting back from vacation." He shrugged.

"Who knows." He answered, and underneath his tone I could here a little bit of bitterness. "They just said that they'd be back in awhile." I nodded, and although my home situation had been completely different, I knew what it was like to feel abandoned by my parents.

All the problems that I went through in that home I had kept locked up as always, never reveling the flaw in my role on the stage of lies.

"They should care about you more."

"Oh, they care." He answered. "They just don't show it." Again I nodded, visions of my own past swimming in my head, bringing me back to the time I ran away.

_**A strain of cancer**_

_**Chokes the answers**_

_I was sitting up in my room, a book propped open on my lap when I heard the door open and close, announcing that my parents had returned. And, although I would never in my life show it to them, the simple sound of the door always send a shiver of secret dread through me._

_More so, when I heard my father calling my name._

"_SEKKA!" I rolled my eyes and marked my place in 'The Vampire Lestat' before going down the stairs to be greeted with two angry faces. I rolled my eyes again, already mad at them._

"_What the fuck did I do now?" I bit out, glaring heavily._

"_Don't use that tone with me missy." My father shot back, and my chest burned with fire. I hated them - I really did. _

"_I'm fourteen, I'll do whatever the fuck I want." I retorted, and instantly, my mother rose to my father's defense._

"_Respect your father."_

"_Fuck you." And new by the way that their eyes darkened that I was in for it now. They yelled at me until I couldn't handle it anymore and smashed one of the plates._

_I knew it was stupid - it was late and my father was already drunk._

_He shoved the broom into my hands and yelled at me to 'clean it the fuck up now', and I did, anger still boiling in me. Then he was yelling at me, telling to clean it up when I already was and shouting that I wasn't even holding the broom right._

"_Fine!" I shouted, slamming the broom to the floor. "You fucking do it."_

_I went to walk past him when he grabbed my arm and flung me to the ground, telling me to clean it up. One of the small glass shards had dug into my palm and I ripped it out, sending a stream of blood to the floor._

_He stared at me for a moment before yelling at me to clean up the blood as well._

_I held the shard to my wrist, making a clean cut. _

_Before I knew what happened he had grabbed me by the shoulders shaking me._

"_What the fuck are you doing huh?" He yelled this over and over until it was a blur of words. Meanwhile, I was still bleeding, not giving a fuck. Finally, I pushed my drunk father of me._

"_Fuck you!" I yelled this before dashing up the stairs. He followed me, grabbing me by the hair when he saw that I was throwing my clothes all into one bag._

_I don't really remember anything until I was running out the door and into the inky black night. I don't remember wrapping my wrist in a ripped towel from the bathroom, only my mother and fathers shouts as I ran from the house as I possible could._

_I didn't look back, if fact, I had erased them from my memory as best I could until two years later when my father died of a alcohol related heart-attack._

_It was my mother that had called me - don't ask me how she got the damn number, I was living with Marik then - inviting me to the funeral._

_I had slammed the receiver down without an answer, that was the last time I spoken to her._

_Needless to say, I hadn't gone to the funeral._

_I hadn't wanted to, hadn't even cried for his death._

_Severed the bastard right, I had thought. Served him right that his own addiction should kill him._

_I hated him that much._

_**Are you ugly**_

_**A liar like me**_

I didn't notice that I was crying until Yami's hand brushed my cheek and I saw that droplet that landed there.

I suddenly felt stupid and gazed at the ground which was suddenly fascinating. He didn't say anything to me, didn't ask why I was crying - only wrapped his arms around me, smothering my face in his chest.

And suddenly, as my mouth had a mind of it's own, my story of that night and of his death spilled forth like a tide of truth, rushing out of my soul like the tears that dampened my eyes.

_**We are dead**_

_**We are alone**_

_**You know were far from sober**_

"Maybe you should call her." He said after a few moments of heavy silence. I stared up at him, shock written all over my face.

"Nani?"

"Call her." He said softly. "She must be worried about you."

"I can't." I answered back, not even able to comprehend to idea of speaking to my mother. I had turned my back on her and everyone else so long ago that could barely even remember a time when we weren't divided by the deep sea of bitterness between us.

"Why not?" He asked me, and I just looked down. How could I tell him just how I felt?

"Because…….." I began, trying to grasp the words that were running around in my head.

"You don't still blame her do you?" If I wasn't so distraught at the moment, I would have laughed. No, that wasn't why - not even close. Instead I only shook me head.

_**Were are fake**_

_**We are afraid**_

_**You know it's far from over**_

"I can't because……….." I faltered for a moment, willing the words to spring through my mouth. "Because I don't think she loves me anymore." There, I had said it, but now that I heard it out loud it sounded stupid and childish, like something that a small toddler would say when his mother yelled at him for eating a cookie before dinner. 'I don't think Mommy loves me anymore', but this had been so much deeper.

"She's your mother Sekka.." He began softly. "She'll always love you." I wanted to believe him I, I really did, more then anything, but some reason………… I couldn't.

Maybe I didn't have enough faith in the power of mother and daughter, or maybe it was fear that was holding me back, fear that she would leave me the way I left her - completely alone with the shards of a broken life that could never be mended.

_**We are dead**_

_**We are alone**_

_**You know were far from sober**_

"Call her." He said again, gently coaxing me back inside and towards the phone that rested beside my bed. To most, it would have been a luxury, a privileged device to call up friends on - to me, it was a death sentence in disguise.

_**Look closer**_

_**Are you like me**_

_**Are you ugly**_

"Yami I-" But my words died as he put the cordless phone in my hands. I looked up at him, silently pleading him not to do this to me, but at the same time, a secret part of me was thankful. "Who says she even still lives there!"

"Try." He replied. It was stern, but not commanding, gentle, but not soft.

With painstaking slowness I dialed the number, how I still remembered it was a mystery. The phone rang once………twice………

Each second seemed like an eternity, stretched out to deliberately make each one more agonizing then the last. I almost jumped when the voice on the other line answered.

"Hello?" I nearly dropped the phone in shock. It was her voice, no denying it. I froze - what would I say ' Hey mom! How's it going, sorry I haven't called in five years. By the way, how was dad's funeral? Oh really, lovely!' ya right. "Hello?" He voice came over the line and I was both hoping ad dreading that she would hand up.

And then, before I knew it, words had sprang from my mouth.

"Mom!" I said into the phone, willing my voice not to crack.

"Sekka?" He voiced was shocked, thrilled and leery at the same time. It ripped my heart out that she would leery over a phone call from me. Not that she didn't have reason.

_**I don't care**_

_**You don't care**_

_**I'm bitter**_

_**Your angry**_

I nodded vigorously, even though I knew she couldn't see through the receiver. I stole a glance at Yami who had a smile of his face.

I could have smacked him.

"Mom." I said again, I don't know why - I knew it was stupid - but I was crying again as if I was on retarded reality show (A/N: I'm not addicted to Survivor! I'm not, I swear!"

"Sekka! Where are you, where-" A wave of questions washed over me, questions I didn't know how to answer, questions that scared me, questions that would force me to go deep into that murder's well.

_**I don't care**_

_**You don't care**_

_**You love you**_

_**Just like me**_

"Mom, I'm fine." I said, and it was true. Granted, if I called her five months ago, I would have said that I hated the world and everything in it. "That's all I can say right now. I just wanted to say that I love you - and that I'm sorry for everything."

She replied with the stereotype motherly comforts, which although I found horribly cliché, I still loved to hear them for the first time in five years.

And, it made me wonder too - how could I have blamed her for what happened in my life. Someone can't help you unless they know about the damn problem in the first place.

_**I blame you**_

_**You blame me**_

_**I'm bitter**_

_**Your angry**_

"I love you." I said again, praying that she would know and understand how true those words were, and the tone of her voice when she replied told me all I needed to. Yes, she believed me, she knew.

We said a few more things, and I told I had to go.

I was glad that I called her, but it was still hard to talk to her. She asked me where I was and I told her I was ok, that I was safe, and then I placed the phone back on the charger.

_**I don't care**_

_**You don't care**_

_**You love you**_

_**Like me**_

I was shaking, but from what, I still don't know. And I was crying again.

Fucking wuss.

I hated crying more then anything, but it seemed to be my number one activity lately. I could have hit myself for being so stupid.

How could he stand me? I wondered when he wrapped his arms around me. Honestly, in less then a month I had displayed insane cutting problems, psychopathic rage, maniacal fits of unexplained laughter, and now chronic hysterical crying.

I was really falling apart at the seams.

Damn emotions.

_**We are dead**_

_**We are alone**_

_**You know were far from sober**_

"I'm really crazy aren't I?" I muttered to myself as I dried my eyes with the sleeve of my sweater. He grinned a little.

"No." He answered softly. "Just rediscovering life. If you had been acting any other way, I would have been concerned."

_**Were are fake**_

_**We are afraid**_

_**You know it's far from over**_

I didn't say anything for a few moments. I felt stupid and weak……….which I hated. I felt like this crud display of emotional unstableness belittled me somehow.

It embarrassed me to appear this vulnerable.

The rest of the day was easier, and I didn't have anymore breakdowns, but I was holding my breath - waiting for the slightest little thing to set me off again. No I was remembering why I had myself emotionless.

The night came upon us quickly it seemed.

_**We are dead**_

_**We are alone**_

_**You know were far from sober**_

Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed that even the stars were burning brighter for me, the night sky not so much as a black void, but it's own universe bustling with life and light.

That evening, staring at the stars out of Yami's bedroom window, my mother again returned to my thoughts.

I had always try to mold myself to be the opposite of her, but in the end, it only made me more like her. It had always seemed like we were from different planets, but that was changing.

_**Look closer**_

_**Are you like me**_

_**Are you ugly**_

We weren't so different after all, her and I.

We were both women formerly alone in this world, seeking out love and affection. We were both human, the same blood running in both our veins.

No that I thought about it, really thought about it without a child's bitterness - we were more like each other then I could ever dream.

_**Are you ugly**_

_**Are you ugly**_

I heard him moving behind me, and I let one last smile out before I climbed into the warm bed.

It would be another five days before I would encounter another mother - Yami's.

A/N:

Well, there it is! I know it could have been a little better, but I'm satisfied with the way it turned out. Next chapter there's going to be a little conflict and then, hopefully, the chapter after that will be the prom - which really sets things rolling. I'm guessing that this fic will be ending at twenty chapters or so, maybe twenty-two, not sure yet. Anyways, until then, I would love if you could leave a review and tell me what you think seeing as this fic sorta seems to be losing steam in the review department, meaning that their coming slower - not that I'm complaining, just a little concerned. Meh, anyways, hope to see you soon!


	15. Rejection and Acceptance

Disclaimer: # sigh # Don't own YGO, or the lyrics to 'Open Your Eyes' by AlterBridge, just my own characters.

A/N: Heehee! I'm back OMG, THE 100 REVIEW MARK ALREADY? HOLY SHIT, I LOVE YOU ALL! Uh ok………… too much coffee again # sweatdrop #. Anyways, here I am again….. meh, not much to say at the moment just……… you know COFFEE RULES! # runs around in a circle singing the 'I love coffee' song # Wow, my head is filled with really random shit ne? Ok then………. shout-outs:

loathed wolf spirit: Honestly women, I'm not that amazing, lol. Actually, my paragraph structure sucks... anyways, I hope we can chat again soon! oh, and don'tforget to check "Open My Eyes' when you get a chance. Anyways, love ya!

CRAZYABOUTANIME: Um...dude, Sekka's not a safe person to admire, lol. And yes, if only all men were like Yami...wait, then they wouldn't be men lmao! Anyways, hope ya like the chapter girl!

Crystal56: Ahhhhhh, my loyal reader # hug# good to see you. Anyways, glad to see that you liked teh insight teh Sekka's life, I would help explain her character more and why she's well...a little 'disturbed'. Anyways, hope you like this chapter too.

WolfOfShadow: Hey, no sweat on a short review, I'm just glad ur reviewing at all! Anyways, hope you like this chapter as well...probably will...wait, gettign ahead of myself here, lol.

InsaneShadowFan: Hello new person! Ok, without trying to sound well...meish, lol, what do you mean by cliched? I'm sorry, but I've hard to make it not that way, but no matter, the ending won't be, I can gaureentee that. And as for the cuss words - that's merely Sekka's character, which at teh begining, was trashy, but as she changes, so do her language and actions. Anyways, hope you like this chapter.

serpent-vampfreak: OMG ur alive! # glomp # you had me worries there for awhile, lol. Anyways, glad to see your back, and try to stay outta trouble! Anyways, hope you like this chpater to!

GothPoetofDarkness15: I am updating - what the hell do ya call this? lol. Anyways, gotta say it again - love the name! Anyways, you like this chapter!

Alright, with that said I give you chapter 15 # bows and walks off stage #

# Runs back out onto stage as characters start assembling # Opps, heehee I just uh……. Forgot my coffee cup # grabs coffee cup and runs off stage again # # characters stare oddly # Ok, Ok here we go:

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 15

Rejection and Acceptance

Five days passed by as if a dream, blurring with reality and weaving it's own tale.

It would be a pity that that sweet dream would came to an abrupt halt.

Friday evening when we were upstairs, him chatting to Joey on MSN, and me writing a new poem that I intended for it to never see daylight.

"Joey says hi." Yami said out of the blue, eyes locked to the screen.

"Tell him he's a loser." I replied with a grin. Me and Joey had actually started to get pretty friendly over the past couple of weeks. It was strange because, when I was…….. well……. the way I was, I had hated Joey with the same passion that I had hated everyone who was popular.

Before he had been a loud obnoxious baka with a near feral appetite.

Now, I actually got along with the moron. And I mean moron in the friendliest way possible for me. Yami's fingers tapped on the keys and he laughed at the reply which Joey sent.

_**Looking back I clearly see**_

_**What it is that's killing me**_

"He says I love you too." I laughed at this too and grinned, walking over to the computer and typing me own message which was simply # glomp # Love ya too # Hits Arcade Maniac over the head with mallet and blows a kiss # I pressed enter, using his MSN nickname instead of his real name.

He sent back the action of seeing birds around his head, following suit with my cartoony actions.

When the door opened and closed, I thought nothing at all of it. Why would I pay such attention to a common household noise.

A knock on the door a few moments later, however, jeered me from the now three-way instant message conversation. The butler - whose name I had learned, was William - opened the door, instantly gaining our attention.

"Ya Will?" I said. Again, he had taken a likeness to me. Maybe because he saw that Yami was actually dating a real person and some phony, robotic, 100-pound sack of silicone.

_**Through the eyes of one I know**_

_**I see a vision once let go**_

_**I had it all**_

"Master Yami's mother and father have arrived from their vacation and are waiting downstairs." These simple words sent the feeling of a cold bucket of ice in my stomach.

"Thanks-you William." Yami replied and waited till he was gone before signing off MSN and turning to me.

"Wait here." He said softly. "It's best if I announce you properly instead of you just coming down right off the bat." I nodded weakly and watched him disappear to another part of this castle of a home.

I don't know how long he was, but I know that I was pacing back and forth nervously the entire time. I glanced in the mirror, straightened by shirt, my pants, brushed out my long brown hair and returned to pacing, only to do the same thing five seconds later.

This process repeated itself about seven more times before Yami re-appeared in the doorway. He looked nervous.

Bad sign.

"So?" I asked nervously. I felt like a fucking rabbit in a trap, needless to say, I didn't like the feeling at all.

"Come on." He said, leading me out of the room, down one hall that felt a mile long, past another turn and finally to the top of the stairs.

"Yami I-"

"Just relax." He whispered from behind me, his breath flowing over my neck, making me give an involuntary shiver. "You'll be fine." I took a deep breath, placed my hand on the rail, and began walking down the stairs in the most dignified was possible - Which probably made me look like a goddamn sewer rat next to Yami.

_**Constantly it burdens me**_

_**Hard to trust and can't believe**_

_**Lost the faith and lost the love**_

_**When the day is done**_

Over the years I've learned that when someone first lays on you, you can see their true thoughts shine through for just an instant before they mask it, quickly regaining their role on the stage of lies known as life.

I had seen glimpses of many things at me.

Lust, hatred, fury.

But never in all my life had I seen emotions burn so clean as now.

'Get away from us.' Her eyes said. 'Your not one of us and never will be so turn tail and leave now.' And I knew that if she were looking for the telltale glimpse of truth in my eyes, she would have seen three emotions clearly - doubt, apprehension, and finally, pride.

I forced a smile at her.

"Konban wa, ogenki desu ka Moto-san? Good Evening, how are you Mrs. Moto. " I asked, trying my best to be as polite as I could, which I was finding very hard under her hard stare. At least I had remembered to use to respecting term for her name.

"Fine." She replied swiftly. "I didn't catch your name." I would have expected her to show the same courtesy that I had shown her in referring to me as 'Ojousan', the respectable term for someone else's daughter, instead she had said no terms for me at all.

If there had been any chance in hell that I could have came up with a fake name that had even the shadow of a chance at being believable, trust me, I would have used it without a second thought.

I knew that she would probably have heard Yami's ex's talking about me - the rumors that might have reached her ears.

"Sekka." I said, trying not to falter, to keep my face a mask of calmness and confidence. "Sekka Tate." The moment my last name rolled of my tongue I saw that flash again, but this time it was yelling something else entirely.

'Slut!' It yelled. 'Get my son ten feet away from that walking piece of trash.'

She turned to her son, rebuking me entirely.

"Yami, can I talk with you for minute?" She asked sweetly, but I knew that there was nothing sweet about the women except for her fake sugar.

Yami nodded and followed his mother into a different room, his father in toe.

And here I was, standing here thinking 'See ya decent life it's been good to know ya.' If I wasn't so worried at the moment, I would have found that funny.

I nervously glanced at William before flicking my gaze back at his mother just as she rounded the corner and vanished from my sight.

_**Will they open their eyes**_

_**And realize we are one**_

_**On and on we stand alone**_

I heard voices, soft at first and then growing into what sounded like - and was likely to be - an argument. William left the room, clearly sensing the danger signs.

I, however, didn't have that luxury at the moment.

The voices got even loud enough so that I could hear them from were I was standing, and frankly, I wish I hadn't.

"What the hell were you thinking Yami? Bringing that women into our house! Our friends would have a fit if they knew that! And bringing her to school in the same car! How am I ever supposed to show my face in public again?" Yami's reply to that was exactly what I was thinking in my own mind.

"By not hiding behind your facade and money mother." He replied dryly.

"She's trash Yami, you should hear what their saying about that wretch!"

_**Until our day has come**_

_**When they open their eyes**_

_**And realize we are one**_

The words could have hit me like a physical blow.

The past was the past, and yet, always it was destined to haunt you, label you, even when the labeled was long dead and gone.

I both hated myself and loved myself as I stood there listening their argument.

The love for becoming what I was, a civil girl in love, and hated myself for the women I had been.

_**I love the way I feel today**_

_**But how I know the sun will fade**_

"She's not that way!" Yami's voice raised a little, signaling that he was angry. In a way I was glad let him defend me, I thought, let him make them understand me.

"A tiger can't change it's stripes." I didn't have to see Yami to feel the anger radiating off him like an oven that even I could feel from a separate room.

For a minute, I was again hurt, and I didn't realize that I reached of for the shoulder with the initials until I felt my skin against the scars.

_A tiger can't change it's strips_

But what if the tiger was dead after giving birth to young……….what then? Would that tiger still have the same strips? The same weakness?

_**Darker days seem to be**_

_**What will always live in me**_

_**But still I run**_

The words continued until a new voice entered deep and masculine. I could only assume it was his father.

I wanted to block out the words and rush into the fight all in one.

I wanted to run in and say 'Look at me! Do I look her? Do I look like a wretch. I'm no different then you!', but of course, I didn't.

And then the fear and shadows of doubt crept upon me like a disease.

What if they never understood my story - Yami sure as hell wasn't going to tell them, I knew that was a given - what if I was always Sekka The Hooker in their eyes?

Would they rip him away from me?

Would he stay with them, his family?

I didn't want him to leave, but I would selfish to tear him from the ones that had raised him since birth, making me wonder why he wasn't as shallow and materialistic as they. Maybe he was the black sheep too.

_**It's hard to walk this path alone**_

_**Hard to know which way to go**_

_**Will I ever save this day**_

_**Will it ever change**_

Their words floated over to me again, muffled. They must have moved further away from me.

Stay put, I told myself whenever the thought of getting up and hunting them down arose, believe me, your better off not knowing.

If only I had listened.

Then, that old spark of Tate pride that was practically bred into my bones ignited and before I knew it, my feet were moving, following their obscure voices.

They got louder and louder, fueling me only more, but I stopped dead with the next words, not even completely reaching the door.

_**Will they open their eyes**_

_**And realize we are one**_

"How dare you bring that whore into my house? And providing her with clothes? Well I guess her old ones would hardly have been appropriate, know would they?"

"Mother-"

"Don't even begin to tell me that she isn't the way they say. Everyone in the neighborhood has see that girl get into cars filled with men that drive off and return a few hours later. It's happened right outside the school!"

I covered my mouth and willed myself not to say anything, although I felt I might start crying and give myself away.

_**Still today we carry on**_

_**I know our day will come**_

_**When they open their eyes**_

_**And realize we are one**_

How could she sit there and shoot off her mouth like she knew me?

That bitch didn't know the first thing about me or the way I was!

"Son-"

"Don't." His voice was hard, angry. "I've heard all I want to." He made for the door, but his father stopped him.

"I know what it's like to be a teenager and have hormones, but picking up _those_ kind of girls isn't the right way to go about getting what you want."

"Yes." His mother agreed instantly. "They'll suck everything out of you, your money and kindness most of all. After that, they'll go spreading their legs for a new man. That girl that you have here is a slut, get rid of her while you have the chance."

That was it, I couldn't hold this in anymore.

If I didn't get out of here now, I was going to do something I would seriously regret in the long run.

I tried to hold back the tears that threatened to suffocate me, but a small sob escaped anyway.

Instantly Yami's head snapped up, his gaze colliding with mine.

And then I ran.

Without even looking back I turned tail and ran without so much as a clue to where I was going. Somehow I found my way to the back door, throwing it open and running into the cold night air which felt like the arctic against the wetness of my tears.

_**Will they open their eyes**_

_**And realize we are one**_

_**(its hard to walk this path alone**_

_**hard to know which way to go)**_

"Sekka!" I turned to his frame silhouetted by the light coming from the door which he hadn't bothered to close.

I didn't say anything, or more to the point, couldn't say anything past the sobs that were closing off my windpipe.

"Sekka, don't listen to them! They don't know shit about you." If I hadn't been so distressed I probably would have fainted at his colorful language.

I turned into his chest, holding onto him, preying that I wouldn't have to let go.

"Come on." He said, reaching into his pocket and producing keys. "Were going." My head snapped up, staring at his face with was set with a delicate mixture of fury and determination.

"What?" I said, unable to believe my own ears.

"Get in the car - were leaving."

"But where? What-" I stumbled over my own words in shock.

"It doesn't matter, come on." He lead me to the car and practically threw me into the passengers seat. He started the engine and sped out of the driveway so hard that gravel flew from the back tires. We saw his mother leaning out the front door, but he didn't look back.

I wanted to tell him to stop, to turn back and rejoin his family, my mouth seemed to be sealed shut.

Finally, after a heavy argument with myself, I found my voice.

_**Will they open their eyes**_

_**and realize we are one**_

_**(lost the faith and lost the love when the day is done)**_

"Yami stop!" I yelled, and he instantly slammed the breaks, almost sending me through the fucking windshield.

"What?"

"Turn back." I said, and unbuckled my belt. "Go back with your family." I wasn't going to let him destroy his entirely family over me. I knew what it was like to have a divided family and knowing that you couldn't go back to save your soul.

I opened the door and stepped out into the warming night.

"Sekka!"

"I'm not going to destroy your entire household." I answered as I began walking back towards the main of the city. I didn't want to go, but I didn't want to destroy his life either.

I had destroyed one to many lives already.

"Sekka come back here!" He called, running after me. I didn't reply, in fact, I didn't even know just how close he was until his hand gently grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at him.

"I don't care about them." He said, his voice a deadly calm. "I never really did after I learned that if it came to image or money over me, I wouldn't stand a chance."

"But I don't want to make you go away from them! Their your family for God's sake!"

"Come on." He said, gently leading me back to the car, his hand pressed against my back. "Let's go."

And like a lamb leading a fellow lamb to the slaughter, I followed his lead until I safely back in the car.

"Where are we going?"

"Joey's." He answered without the slightest hesitation. "His parents are nothing like mine."

The rest of the way was in silence, but I could still feel the cold fury radiating from him. In a way, it scared me.

We pulled into the driveway ten minutes later and knocked on the door, their butler showing us in and announcing us properly. Not two minutes, I was tackled in the middle by a little auburn streak.

"Sekka!" She yelled, laughing then looking up at me with her brother's brown eyes. "I haven't seen since school!" I grinned down at Joey's little sister, instantly feeling better about the whole night. Serenity had a way of doing that to everyone around her when she smiled at you with that child-like innocence that was almost amazing for a fifteen year old girl just entering high school.

"Hey, how's it going?" But the answer never came as Joey came down the stairs, his voice blaring like a foghorn at four in the morning - in other words, completely annoying, but I couldn't help but smile. As much as I hated it, this monkey was my friend.

"Hey Joey."

"What the hell are you guys doing here this late?"

"My mother met Sekka." Instantly Joey's face wrinkled in dislike.

"That couldn't have gone well."

"Believe me." I groaned. "Not even in the same area good as 'going well'."

"Looks like your staying here tonight then." Serenity answered without hesitation. I smiled.

"Thanks." I answered, and before I knew it, she was practically dragging me upstairs to get me some clothes I could sleep in. "Serenity……..your smaller the me, I don't know if-" I might as well been talking to the wall for all the good my protests did.

She chose nice silk nightgown for me in white.

What was with this color and me?

I was thin…………. really thin, and only reached to my knees.

"Um…….Serenity, this is a little small………"

"Oh, no-one will see you in it, your just sleeping." She piped. Had this girl ever heard of decaf? I seriously had to wonder.

"But……"

"Here." She answered again, throwing me a bathrobe which I quickly wrapped around me.

"Thanks." She smiled and lead me back downstairs. "Serenity?" I asked her before we entered the room that the boys were in.

"Ya?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." She answered with a sweet grin. As funny as this sounded, it was almost like a had Jo back. She wasn't tomboyish like Jo had been, but she had the same kind of air about her. Confident, sweet, so full of life.

At that thought, I didn't know whether to hug her or cry.

"Do you think that Yami…….." I fumbled for a minute. "Do you that me and Yami aren't good for each other, You know, me being the way I am and my background?" She smiled and shook her head.

"You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover." She answered quickly. "Even the most worn out and battered cover can contain a beautiful story."

_**Will they open their eyes**_

_**And realize we are one**_

I smiled and hugged her, willing myself not to cry with happiness that at last someone excepted me the way I was.

"Thank you." I whispered to her.

She beamed at me and without another word, lead me into the room.

A/N:

I know, kind of a crappy ending, but I liked the rest of the chapter! Next chapter I'm going to add a little sexual tension just because I'm evil! Heehee, coffee must not dance around again…… # twitch #, lol. Anyways, not much else to say except that I would love you forever if you left a pretty review! Just look at the button, ain't it pwetty? Ok, I'm just getting sad now, lol. Anyway # waves # see ya in the next chapter!


	16. Blood Of The Lamb

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO, or the lyrics to 'Somewhere Out There' by Our Lady Peace - only Sekka and anyone else not in the show.

A/N: Ok here I am, and I'm not caffeine hyper this time, lol. I searched high and low for a song to use in this chapter and finally found one that I thought would ok……….not perfectly, mind you, but at least acceptable, if anyone has anything better that wasn't performed by previous artists,( I'm planning on making a soundtrack when this is done) do let me know and I'll revise this chapter! Anyway, shout-outs:

CRAZYABOUTANIME: Hello my crazy CAPS obessed friend, lol. Anyways, yes, Yami will most definetly remain hotter then hell, don't worry about that, lol. Anyways, short shouts this time...meh, sorry but I don't have much time. Anyways, hope you like this chapter.

loathed wolf spirit: AWWWWWWWWW how sweet, lol. But seriously, my grammer sucks ass, lol. Anyways, not much tiem ta day, but I hope your doing ok. Anyways, love ya lots!

peachigoddess: Well, hopefully you didn't have to wait to long, lol. Thanks for reveiwing so much, love ya!

GothPoetofDarkness15#Ponders voodoo doll idea# hmmmmmmm, that might be an option, lol. Anyways, his parents are just... ok there's no way to justify his parents but I'll try. Ok, well maybe because their high class...meh. Anyways, hope ya like this chapter.

Crystal56: Are you by any chance British? Lol, cause you know the whole 'sod off' thing. Anyways, glad to see you liekd teh end of teh chapter. Meh...not much to say ta day, but... hope you liek this chapter just as much as the last! Love ya!

WolfOfShadow: Ypu do realize that you spelt her name wrong right? lol. It's spelt Sekka, not Secca, lol. Same sound though. Anyways, yes he loves her, quite obviously. However, this is going to be far from perfect.

InsaneShadowFan: Yup, my grammer sucks. Sorry, but I didn't have time to proof-read this chapter. Of course, I'll try to keep that in mind in future chapters. Thanks for showing me how this fic and be improved, I can't catch everything!

Blue Savage: Yes, I update! And I've done it again, oh my! Lol, anyways, don't forget about Stage of Lies, I left ya a message on characters!

boooh bah (has anyone else seen that show or am i just sad): Oh God, your back! NOOOOOOOOO, lol. Actualy, I'm happy to see ya again #hug# Anyways, hope you get to reading OME, the sequel's finally up! I'm so proud of myself, lol. Anyways, hope to see more of you!

Haven of Darkness: Wow, your hyper, lol. That's ok, I've had some bad hyper days myself, just ask DeceptiveInnocence! Lol, anyways, g2g, hope to see ya again!

Alright then, with that out of the way, let's get this started ne?

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 16

Blood Of The Lamb

That night, after everyone had gone to bed after about a hundred rounds of poker, I couldn't sleep for the life of me.

Yami slept in a separate room, but I swore that I could still hear his breathing through the walls, slow and even, but even this rhythmic pattern couldn't lull me into oblivion.

Ever since I had entered Yami's house I had never slept alone, it had always been in his arms that I found my haven. But now in light of his absence the shadows seemed to loom just outside my mind, waiting for the vulnerability of my subconscious mind to become free.

_**Last time I talked to you**_

_**You were lonely and out of place**_

And the whispers, slow and haunting, wouldn't let me rest either.

The echoing words of his parents, what they had said about me - what they believed.

'_Everyone in the neighborhood has see that girl get into cars filled with men that drive off and return a few hours later. It's happened right outside the school!'_

_**You were looking down on me**_

_**Lost out in space**_

_I know what it's like to be a teenager and have hormones, but picking up _those _kind of girls isn't the right way to go about getting what you want_

_They'll suck everything out of you, your money and kindness most of all. After that, they'll go spreading their legs for a new man. That girl that you have here is a slut, get rid of her while you have the chance_

_A tiger can't change it's stripes_

I threw my pillow over my head like a little child, hoping that the cotton might drown out the accusations that were as loud as church bells within my brain.

"A tiger can't change it's strips." I muttered the words out loud, spitting them from my mouth like poison - poison I wished I could throw right back at her.

But then, what if she was right? What if I would return to what I had been?

I shuddered at the thought, it being my worst fear.

_**Laid underneath the stars**_

_**Strung out and feeling brave**_

I closed my eyes, trying to will my mind to slow to a tolerable rate, but I refused to obey me. And suddenly, the shadowed walls were pressing in on me, threatening to close in for the kill entirely.

And the heat, was it just me?

I felt like it must be a hundred degrees in this damn room.

Making my choice I kicked off the sheet that I thrown over me for security reason in light of my revealing nightgown.

_**Watch the riddles glow**_

_**Watch them float away**_

I was almost like a film, so I had left on my underclothes as well.

I rose from the bed and walked across the room and into the hall, treading a lightly as I could, afraid of waking someone up, even though I knew that a heard of elephants couldn't wake Joey up.

It was dark, and I stumbled along, on hand on the wall as I tried to find the kitchen.

What seemed like twenty minutes later I finally found the room, sparkling clean as rich people's houses always seemed to be. I poured myself a glass of cold water and downed it in about 3 seconds, gasping for air as I placed the glass in the dishwasher.

But I was still uneasy, and in seemed that the shadows that I had left the room to escape had followed me, once again whispering of danger.

_**Down here in the atmosphere**_

_**Garbage and city lights**_

I opened the patio door and stepped into the warm night, a slight breeze brushing against my skin like a kiss, the strand of my long hair blowing around my face and caressing my cheeks as if to wipe away unshed tears and carry all the pain on it's wings.

This was much better, at least I could breathe out here.

I lit a cigarette out of the pack that I had taken off my night table, exhaling the smoke out calmly.

_**You gotta save your tired soul**_

_**You gotta save our lives**_

_**Turn on the radio**_

_**To find you on satellite**_

Yami had taken to calling them 'cancer sticks', just to bug me I think.

A shimmer of water caught my eye and I turned to see a large pool filled with water, the full moon reflecting off the liquid like the sparkle of diamond tears.

_A tiger can't change it's stripes_

I think it's safe to say that right now, I hated her.

But I didn't feel the anger boil up into my heart right now, the beauty of the night kept it far away, making me unreachable.

_**I'm waiting for the sky to fall**_

_**I'm waiting for a sign**_

_**All we are is all so far**_

I finished my cigarette and butted it out on the ashtray on one of the patio tables and looked around.

What I did next, I still don't why I did it. Maybe it was the summer heat, or the breeze caressing my face. Maybe I was drunk on moonlight and all the beauty it reflected - who knows. All I do know is that before I knew it, I was at the side of the pool, the filmy nightgown slipping off my shoulders and into a silken pile at my feet.

I hesitated, then removed my underwear and unclipped my bra, adding it to the pile of clothing - leaving me completely exposed to the moon's foxfire that radiated off my pale skin.

Then I dived into the water.

_**You're falling back to me**_

_**The star that I can't see**_

The liquid was cool in contrast to the hot night, and it felt pleasantly chilly against my body. My head surfaced the water, taking in large gulps of air, my dark hair like a blanket that covered my entire back.

The water rippled over my body, the liquid and I moving as one, as if I was merely an incarnation of the substance itself.

_**I know you're out there**_

_**Somewhere out there**_

I wasn't Sekka in that moment, I was everything.

The song that the night birds were singing, the crickets that chirped in the distance, the dew that still lingered on my feet.

I was the water, the air, the moon and the sun.

I was a water nymph freed from human form, a dark haired goddess in the blessed river.

I went back under the waves, letting the tiny air bubbles send a chill over my bare body. My head surfaced again and this time my floated on my back, arms outstretched as if to embrace the stars, my hair fanned out around me like a veil, my breasts just above the surface, absorbing the air.

_**You're falling out of reach**_

_**Defying gravity**_

_A tiger can't change it's stripes_

I smiled, a private smile that I knew only I could understand.

Let her think what she wanted, live the way she wanted, as the main role on her shallow stage of deceit and backstabbing.

_**I know you're out there**_

_**Somewhere out there**_

Only I knew the truth, the truth being that I _was_ changing my stripes, letting them wash away into the river, being erased, leaving me bare - a new canvas in which Yami's brush strokes would make an even greater picture then before.

I don't how long I floated in the pool like that, lost in the millions thoughts that swirled in my head like the tide, and I let them come freely.

_**Hope you remember me**_

_**When you're homesick and need a change**_

Marik and where he was right now, if he was looking me to exact his vengeance one last time.

My mother, wondering what she would think of me if she could see me now, see he phoenix that had emerged from her ashes.

My father and if he could see me up in heaven right now, wondering if he was smiling down upon me, sending his love through time and space.

_**I miss your purple hair**_

_**I miss the way you taste**_

Jo, what would she think if she knew what had happened after the car crash? Would she still respect me, still love me the way she had in the near-sisterhood that should have been ours forever? Would have she liked Serenity?

The answer to that never did come, but that was ok - I had a feeling that I was going to see her again sooner or later.

_**I know you'll come back someday**_

_**On a bed of nails awake**_

I imagined that I was Jesus, my arms and feet nailed to the watery cross, dying for all the sins of mankind. I saw the blood streaming into the water in my minds eye, being purified in the blood of the lamb, the flowing water as heavens tears for my redemption.

_**I'm praying that you don't burn out**_

_**Or fade away**_

_**All we are is all so far**_

If only everyone who had doubted me could see me now, I thought, if only they could see what I had become, what I had achieved.

The sound of the patio door opening jeered me out of my thoughts with a wave of panic that sent me bolting up as if someone had dropped a active toaster into the pool.

_**You're falling back to me**_

_**The star that I can't see**_

Yami's eyes stared down at me, the light from the kitchen making it look like he was glowing like the angel he was. Without thinking I bolted, crossing from the middle of the pool to the side as quickly as humanly possible for a smoker and pushed my breasts against the pool wall.

We stayed like that for a moment his shocked eyes locking with my own, and I felt the heat of embarrassment rise up in my face.

_**I know you're out there**_

_**Somewhere out there**_

"Sekka I uh-" He was at a loss for words, as was I.

"I was my fault." I muttered, suddenly finding the pool edge fascinating.

"I woke up to get a drink and found your bed empty so I came looking for to make sure you were alright, I didn't mean to-"

"I know." I answered. "I know your not like that."

_**You're falling out of reach**_

_**Defying gravity**_

"Sorry." I shook my head.

"Don't be. I should have known better then to go skinny dipping in the middle of the fucking city, in a house with two men no less." But he didn't reply, just stared at me, studying me and making me feel as if I was some sort of statue carved of ivory, a mold of Athena that demanded only the most tender of care, only the highest show of respect.

_**I know you're out there**_

_**Somewhere out there**_

His gaze made me fill with a new heat that definitely wasn't from the hot night, the tingling just below my belly button.

"Sorry, if you want I'll let you get out, one minute." He went back into the house only to reappear a few minutes late with a towel that he handed to me., keeping his eyes solely locked with mine, not wavering to try and leer at me in the least. "Here."

_**You're falling back to me**_

_**The star that I can't see**_

"Thanks." I answered with a smile, mentally berating myself for being the impulsive idiot that I was.

He turned his back and I had to let out a small chuckle at the simple action of common courtesy and modesty. In many ways, he was entirely the 20-year old grade thirteen man that he was, but it amazed me at how child-like and boyish he could be at times.

_**I know you're out there, oh**_

_**You're falling out of reach**_

_**Defying gravity**_

"What's so funny?" He asked and I just shook my head.

"Nothing." I lifted myself out of the pool with a small splash and quickly wrapped the towel around my body not only because I wanted to cover myself but because the slight breeze was cold as hell against my wet skin.

"Done?"

"Ya." I replied and he turned around to see me shivering, my teeth chattering.

"Come on." He said, shaking his head a little. I knew he was probably thinking 'Just how crazy is this women.' He picked up my clothes and then opened the patio door which I practically ran to.

_**I know you're out there**_

_**Somewhere out there**_

Once inside he went upstairs and grabbed one of Joey's T shirts which I could have worn as a dress.

"Just how tall is that guy?" I wondered out loud as he handed it to me, I held it up and peered into the seemingly endless fold of fabric.

"What are you looking for?"

"The circus, I think it's still in here." I replied, earning a chuckle from him. I threw the shirt over my head, making sure that it was completely down before removing the towel from underneath it and wrapping my hair in it - or at least as much of my damn hair that I could fit in it.

Not that it did much good anyway - the back of the shirt was already soaked.

_**You're falling back to me**_

_**The star that I can't see**_

"Damn it's cold." I muttered, my teeth still chattering.

"That's what you get for swimming in a cold pool on a hot night." He handed me a glass. "Here, drink this." The glass was hot and I warmed my hands on it, still standing soaking wet in the middle of my boyfriend's bestfriend's kitchen (A/N: Did that make any sense…….probably not, lol)

Suddenly I felt arms wrap around me from behind, body heat instantly soaking through the thin fabric.

_**I know you're out there**_

_**Somewhere out there**_

"Yami what-"

"I'm staying like this until you warm up." He answered. "If you don't like it push me off, your choice." I tensed and them melted into his embrace, letting his heat warm me as I sipped the hot coffee in my hands.

"I would never do that." I answered, leaning into him, letting our bodies conform to each other as if we were, quite literally, two peas in a pod. "Not to you anyway." And there it was again, that spreading heat that rushed up my body, sending chills down my spine, making my breath hasten.

_**You're falling out of reach**_

_**Defying gravity**_

"Sekka-" I turned around to face him, face that look that fixed on me. Like I was the only thing in the whole damn world that he saw, or that was even worth looking at all.

"Yes?" He pressed his lips against mine, lopping his arm against the small of my back, supporting me as I leaned back, moaning against him as are tongues dueled.

How can he do this to me, I remember thinking, how can he make me feel this good without sex?

Maybe it was a stupid question born from an old whore whose sex life was no more then a chore, but still I asked myself.

_**I know you're out there**_

_**Somewhere out there**_

He pulled back, looking surprised with himself and casting his gaze down, as if in shame or embarrassment.

"I-" But I didn't let him finish as this time I was the one who kissed him, feeling the liquid fire rush through my veins. I wasn't cold anymore, instead I felt as if there was an all consuming flame inside me, fighting to get out.

When I pressed him against the fridge, I realized just how far this could go if I let it.

I pulled away from him, breathing as if my lungs had only just come to life and were experiencing oxygen for the first time, like a newborn child.

"We should stop." I said between pants of breath. He nodded, instantly agreeing with me and I backed up, giving him room to move aside.

"I didn't mean to-"

_**You're falling back to me.**_

"I know, you didn't scare me." I replied. "I scared myself." He nodded as I set down the empty coffee cup on the table. "I'll get that in the morning." I muttered and moved past him, heading back up the stairs. He followed me, seeming to understand that I needed the distance at the moment.

What the hell was that anyway?

The feeling that I would have let him right then and there if he had been the one that pinned me. I groaned and leaned against the door of my stand-in bedroom.

"Sekka?" I turned, only able to make out his silhouette in the dark.

"Ya?"

"Again, I'm sorry, I don't what I was thinking."

"I do." I answered. "It was the same thing I was."

"I love you, you know that right?" I nodded, even though I knew he could barely make it out.

_**Well I know**_

_**I know**_

"I know that, Yami." I answered. "Probably more then you know."

"That's good." He replied, then fell silent, but I knew he wasn't finished. "Then, what do think about looking for an apartment tomorrow." The words floored me and if I hadn't been leaning against a wall I might have literally fallen over.

"You mean, live together?"

"Think about it." He replied, and I could sense his tenseness. "It's really no different then when we were at my parent's place, I've been meaning to move out anyway." The next words that left my mouth defied and shattered every law I had every made after Marik.

Law one - don't fall in love.

Law two - see law one

_**You're falling out of reach**_

"Alright." I whispered, me breath heavy with a mixture of fear and excitement. "But, you don't have any money, how the hell are we going to rent an apartment?"

"I have more then enough in my bank account." He replied smoothly, and I couldn't hold in how happy I was anymore so I did the only thing that seemed to make sense and that was hug him as hard as humanly possible without breaking him in half.

Not that I think I could do it if I tried, there was just to much muscle, plain and simple.

He let out a small 'oof' as I jumped into his arms, laughing as quietly as I could.

"I love you, I love you, I love you!" I whispered. Who gave a fuck about the laws I had made, who cared about how I felt the last brick in my wall turn to sand, who cared that I was probably setting myself up for a disaster that would leave me in shambles when it was over ?

_**I know**_

Not me, that's for sure.

Never me again.

A/N:

Well, there we go! I actually really like this chapter if I do say so myself! The next chapter should be the last chapter before the prom, and then things take another turn. # evil laugh #. Ok, just as a warning, if anyone cries at the end of this fic, don't say I didn't warn you ok?

Anyways, reviews make me update faster # Hint, Hint #, lol! And thanks again to everyone!


	17. The Wind's Whisper

Disclaimer: Don't own YGO, just Sekka and any other characters not in the show. I don't own the lyrics to 'Ticket To Heaven' by 3 Doors Down either - wish I did, but don't.

A/N: I'm back! Alright then, this is the last before the lemon scene, and it's finally the prom! I know, your probably thinking 'FINALLY!' but I had to build up the plot. Anyways, with all that said……I get to shout out to all you wonderful people, lol:

Blue Savage: Thanks for thinking I'm so talented! Makes me all warm and fuzzy , lol. Anyways, I am updating, so I hope you like this chapter too! And thanks for reviewing so often...you rock! lol

InsaneShadowFan: Nothing wrong with a little fluff indeed. Although, two more chapters of fluff and then...# doom music #, lol. Anyways, enjoy the chappie!

serpent-vampfreak: Don't apoloigize for short reviews man! I'm happy that I have great people like you reviewing me at all! Anyways, hope you like this chapter and that your doing good!

CRAZYABOUTANIME: 0.o all the other questions were good but the last one...lmao. Anyways, yes it will be a sad ending...sorry but I don't want all my stories having the 'happily ever after' bullshit. Anyways, this chapter is a happy one...hope that makes you feel better, lol.

WolfOfShadow: The wait is over! Here's the next chapter, hope you like it. Hey, don't feel bad for spelling her name wrong, it's sad much seeing as the story is in her POV. Anyways, ja!

GothPoetofDarkness15: Yes get the circus thing from Anastasia # hangs head in shame# It was such a cute line...meh. Anyways, hope you like this chapter, more fluff and shit!

DreamAnimeKitten: OOOOOOOO! New person # jumps up and down # I know what you mean by there's so many stupid fics out there that are pretty much PWP (porn without point) but I try not to make my fics like that. Thanks for saying that there are real characters that people can relate with because that's what I try to convey in my writing! Your too good to me, lol. Anyways, welcome and hope you like this chapter!

Ok then……

WARNING:

Fluff ahead, lol!

Ok, I'm done, seriously! Maybe I shouldn't have bought that coffee……….

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter Seventeen

The Wind's Whisper

A month later I stood in front of the mirror, my own eyes staring back as if they expected me to make the right decision.

The dress that Yami had bought clung to my body softly in a veil of snow white fabric. It was an elegant dress, simple, yet elegant. The bodice was straight across, leaving all of my neck and shoulders exposed, tightening in the middle to hug the curve of my hips before flaring out to circle around my ankles.

My arms were exposed, which made me nervous and I smiled a little at the memory.

_I was standing in the kitchen of our small apartment that was the upper floor of a two-floor house. It was a small apartment, but cozy for just the two of us and our cat, Majy. _

_It was a one-bedroom that we shared with a living room, kitchen and a side door that lead to the roof that over looked the pool in the backyard of the bottom story residents, but they told us that we could use it anytime we wanted. _

_The TV drowned in the background._

_Ten people shot dead._

_That's what the news was broadcasting when he came through the door._

"_It's a pity." I muttered as the news report concluded. Apparently, some psycho had walked into a store with a gun and started randomly shooting people. He was facing life in prison now. _

"_What is?" _

"_Nothing." I muttered. "Just the fucked up world." He nodded slowly and my eyes fixed on the package that he was only half trying to hide. "Are you going to tell me what that is?" _

"_Find out for yourself." He said with a sheepish little grin as he placed the box in my hand. I opened it gently, not wanting to rip the beautiful paper, as odd as that sounds. My breath caught in my throat as I lifted the gown out of the box and held it at arms length._

"_My god……." Was all I could say as I drank in the beautiful shimmering silk. _

_Then I noticed the sleeves._

"_Yami…….the sleeves…….there…."_

"_Short?" He finished for me. I nodded and he walked behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. _

"_Remember when I told you that you didn't have to hid from me?" I nodded at the memory. "That applies now…… you don't have to hide from the world either, it's your playground now, knock 'em dead." I smiled and nodded, turning to him and kissing him flat on the lips. _

"_I love you." I mumbled against his lips, meaning it more then ever._

I shook my head slightly to clear the memory away and smiled at the mirror.

My dark brown hair was up in an artfully chaotic bun that Serenity had done for me with the aid of about a thousand bobby pins. She had used and a curling iron to curl the two pieces that fell around my face and eyes which were lined with eyeliner and mascara with a light blue eyeshadow. The jeweled bracelet that Serenity had leant me glittered on my wrist, sending small flickers of light through the room.

The girl staring back at me from the mirror looked so much different from the gaunt girl of few months ago, she looked older, more mature………..even happy.

I had gained weight, my ribs now covered by fat although I was still lithe and my skin had a healthy glow to it instead of it's former corpse-like whiteness.

"Knock 'em dead." I whispered to myself, feeling foolish, but doing it all the same. I turned around when Yami walked into the room, dressed in his rented tux. I could have laughed at the adorablity (is that even a word? meh) of the situation, but it would have been cruel.

He smiled when his eyes laid on me, his ruby eyes lighting with a love that I felt from all the way across the room.

"You look beautiful." I looked down and nervously rubbed the scars on my arms.

"Thanks."

"But something's missing……" He said, thinking as he looked over my outfit and hair, his eyes glinting mischief that made me slightly uneasy. He reached into his pocket and my breath caught in my throat.

"Yami………."

"Don't." He said softly, holding the small teardrop shaped diamond that dangled on a golden chain so that it caught in the light. I couldn't do anything but run into his arms and kiss him until he was sure he felt as if he would die from the force. He laughed a small laugh, no doubt joyful that he had made me happy.

"I love you." I whispered against him, feeling his hands on my back, hard and firm.

"I love you too." He smiled. "Come on." I nodded and let him lead to the limo. The back of it was all leather and comfortable, and I wasted not a moment to snuggle into him and feel him real and sure against me, reassuring me all over again that this was no dream.

He was here, I was here, and we were happy and full of young love, just rediscovering everything we had ever known and loved.

My rules were broken, my heart had conquered logic, and now I could only sit back and ride the wave that my emotions and his soft eyes had sent me on. I was lost in the currents and if drifting along in the river meant that there was a waterfall just down the path, then I wouldn't fight, wouldn't scream for rescue. I would let my soul go over the dreaded dam and could only hope and prey that I would resurface on the other side.

_**I'm walking a wire**_

_**Feels like a thousand ways I could fall**_

The ride was far too short and it seemed that we were at the prom in seconds, cast adrift into the sea of bodies.

The room was beautiful, dazzling even with it's Japanese lanterns, lights, and brightly colored paper and streamers. It was as if we were inside a fairy-tale, Prince and Princess among the Dukes and Duchesses, commoners and slaves. No-one was regarded here, no-one was classed or labeled here.

It was merely people, high-class, low class, it didn't matter anymore.

_**To want is to buy**_

_**But to live is to die**_

_**And you can't take it all**_

People's eyes glanced over me, shock written in their eyes. I could only pray that it was shock at what they saw I had become, how different I was and not who I was with.

I knew that some still believed me to be the whore in the back seat, a fifteen dollar blow-job in a dark alley, but that would soon die. Tonight was my night to shine, to rise above pettiness and envy. Tonight I would show them who and what Sekka Tate really was.

"You look nervous." He whispered into my ear, taking my hand in his, drawing it away from where I self-consciously rubbed the purple and pink scars on my arms.

"I am." I admitted, leaning into him as if he was the only thing holding me up.

"Don't be." He replied and his eyes landed on a group of girls, all eyeing me and whispering, Trish in the middle. "You see them, they want to be you, they want what you have, your strength" His hand went over my shoulder to the top of my breast "and you heart." I couldn't help but smile at the words he was telling me, the words that washed away my unease and bought me back to calm.

_**When everything is said and done I won't have one thing left**_

_**What happened to everything I've ever known?**_

An spokesman announced the first dance and a slow, steady tune picked up. For a moment the dance floor was empty, but the brave and the shameless were the first ones to emerge and claim the floor as theirs.

"Ready?"

"No." I answered with a deep breath. "But that's as close as your gonna get." He smiled and took my hand, leading me to the floor and into the rhythm. His lips were close to my neck, making me breath hasten before I relaxed and let him lead me with the rhythms. "I never knew you could dance."

"Neither did I." He answered, making me chuckle. How charming he was, how seemingly perfect. And yet, why did this scare me? Maybe I was afraid that he was no more then an illusion of my mind, or a dream that drift away and the morning sun streaming through the windows of my old apartment would wake me and I would again be more alone then I ever could have dreamed.

_**Cuz all it gave me was this ticket to heaven**_

_**That ticket to heaven **_

_**Just to lie in the bed that you've made **_

He raised his hand and I spun as if I had been taught ballroom dancing for years. I guess maybe that's why the men traditionally lead the women - they knew what they were doing.

"I amazed that I can do this so naturally." He smiled softly and looked into my eyes.

"Your not the only one." He replied. I could feel the jealously of the other women, women that thought they were better then me and hated me for having Yami. I thought that if I stood here long enough their eyes could burn holed into my back and burn me alive from end of my body straight through to the other side.

_**Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything**_

_**I'm running from everything **_

_**I'm afraid it's a little too late**_

"What have I told you?" He asked, making my gaze snap back to him and away from the other girls.

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about them, there nothing to you, no danger to you." His words wrapped a blanket of protection around my heart.

"I know." I sighed and leaned into him as we spun slowly. "But still………"

"No buts." His tone was firm, but not cutting or harmful. Instead of tearing me down with an order that I felt I had to obey, he used his words to build me up, leaving my life in my control if I so wanted.

"Yami……"

"Hm?"

"I love you." He smiled and looked down at me with such a sweet, soft and caring look in his eyes that my own heart whispered to my mind 'How can you not believe him? Look at him. There is no hardness in his eyes or soul now shut up and listen to me.'

_**Soft voices lie**_

_**Innocence dies**_

_**Now to win without shame**_

"I love you too." He said the words, and that warmed me, but another thought, dark and mysterious, loomed just under my mind, threatening to engulf me entirely.

"You know…….this is our last year of high school…..what are you planning to do with your life?"

"Sekka." He laughed a little at my question. "Why are you so worried?" How could I tell him what was in my troubled thoughts without hurting him? Without making him believe that I didn't have faith in him? Without sounding like a lost dog in desperate need of an owner?

"I'm just worried that you'll……"

"Yes?"

"That you'll have to go away." There, I had said it. I had implied that he would leave me, and now all I could do was wait for the flicker of pain to cross his features, then doubt, then anger and the end of my happy night.

But it didn't happen.

_**And all your dreams and all your money **_

_**They don't mean a thing**_

"So?" He asked me, as if I said the stupidest thing on Earth. Maybe I had. "Sekka, you should by now know that I'm taking you wherever I go." I smiled, happy that my dark thoughts hadn't proven true. Slowly, I was going to stop listening to these stupid and illogical worries.

I hadn't realized that the song had stopped until I was siting down at one of the tables. Yami offered to go get drinks and disappeared. Not two seconds later, Trish and her gang-bang candidates came over to me. I mentally rolled my eyes, hoping that they might see the big 'fuck off' sign across my forehead. Obviously, they didn't.

_**When everything is said and done I won't have one thing left**_

_**What happened to everything I've ever known?**_

"So you think that you're so good because Yami's showing you charity." She snapped at me. I looked away and ignored her, hoping that she would get bored of me and leave. Sadly, that didn't happen. "Listen to me you cheap little bitch!" Slowly I turned to lock eyes with hers.

"What?" I snapped.

"Glad to see you can hear me." She smirked, folding her arms under her breasts.

"With that shrill and whinny voice, who couldn't?" I quipped. I know that I had promised myself not to cause shit at the dance but……..they were asking for me to verbally trounce them.

"Fuck off, slut." She bit back and I masked my face so that they couldn't see how much the comment hurt. "You know, once you put out for him, he's going to throw you away like the trash you are, you know that right?" She continued before I even had a chance to respond. "You're just a cheap thrill, an easy bitch that he's going to use and lose. Face it you little whore, your nothing to him so just fuck him so he can get rid of you and come back to his own kind."

_**Cuz all it gave me was this ticket to heaven**_

_**That ticket to heaven **_

The way she said the words 'his own kind' made it seem as if we were an entirely different rave altogether. Maybe she was right, there were two planets - the rich and the poor. They lived on the same Earth, but the Earth itself was divided into these two worlds.

I willed myself to keep my mouth shut, but the words flew past them faster then I could seal my lips and I could see them flying out of my mouth and into her face like bats out of Hell.

"And what is your kind ne? A world of breast implants, face lifts, and miracle creams? A world that's filled with lies that harvest out of your own greed and jealously? That's no world that belong on this Earth. And he had left your so-called 'kind' then I can see why he was so eager." That did it. She was stunned, her face shocked, unable to think of anything to fire back at me.

My lack of anger had surprised her, unnerved her. And here she was, opening and closing her mouth like a dumb fish that had suddenly found itself in sand and the only it could do was try fruitlessly to get back into it's home while it suffocated slowly.

_**Just to lie in the bed that you've made **_

_**Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything**_

_**I'm running from everything **_

The 'friends' were silenced too, and slowly she did the only thing she could, she left. The way she turned I could see that she was trying to make it seem as if she had told me of and was leaving as casually as she could, but I could see her shoulders trembling in fury.

_**I'm afraid it's a little too late**_

_**It's a little too late**_

Yami reappeared seconds later and I could tell that he knew something had happened from the look of triumph in my face that something had happened.

"Are you going to explain your cat-that-just-got-the-canary look are am going to stay in puzzlement the whole night?" I just looked at up at him with a little smile then looked back at Trish whose hand wobbled ever so slightly as she drank from her punch. His gaze followed mine and a amused smile crept unto his face.

"Don't worry." I said a little too cheerily. "It was nothing."

_**All it gave me was this ticket to heaven**_

_**That ticket to heaven **_

He just nodded but I knew that he had a good idea of what was said and it pleased him that I had beat them at their own game. They had expected me to react, to hit them and get myself thrown out of here and publicly humiliate myself.

But like this mother had so doubted, I had changed my stripes and with it the knowledge of what made me tick. They couldn't get to me now and it frustrated them that they couldn't get me to do what they wanted anymore.

_**Just to lie in the bed that you've made **_

_**Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything**_

_**I'm running from everything **_

The rest of the night went smooth. They didn't come near me or Yami and no-one new came to stir up shit. The night was peaceful and I spent the whole nice dancing with him to different beats and songs, but there was only one song I heard that night.

It was the same song he heard. The bitter screaming song of misery and despair as it was thrown bitterly into the night. But the same song changed along the way to something soft and mellow, the rhythms and beats spinning a tale of young love that formed under the moon and stars.

_**I'm afraid it's a little too late**_

The seasons of this song changed from fall to winter to spring. It was the story of my life really. The fall had been Marik, the winter that followed his hate and my pain. And now spring was here and the promise of summer heat was near and we awaited it.

_**All it gave me was this ticket to heaven**_

_**That ticket to heaven **_

_**Just to lie in the bed that you've made **_

There were no leaves rustling in the ground, the final screams of dead hopes and dreams that were never to revived. But that was ok now. They had been swept away and decomposed into new soil, fresh and ready to harbor new flowers.

_**Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything**_

_**I'm running from everything **_

Hours later the prom ended and everyone left, including us. I sat in the seat of the car as we made our way home as a looked out the window I caught a glimpse of the moon. The waxing was over and it was at full power, the great pearl amidst the endless sky of diamonds.

_**I'm afraid it's a little too late**_

_**It's a little too late**_

The silver moonlight bathed the roads and the wind whipping around the car carried the night's promise of a new beginning…….

A/N:

Take a guess what's happening in the next chapter # wink # lol. Anyways, yes, the next chapter is going to be a LEMON meaning that it's going to be rated R. And after the lemon well………. new surprises # evil grin # You all just hate me don't you? lol. Anyways, hope you liked the chapter and please review! The faster reviews come, the faster I update and you guys can get to the good stuff, lol!


	18. Surrender

Disclaimer: Don't own YGO or the lyrics to 'Anywhere' by Amy Lee Of Evanescence

A/N: Heehee! I'm back everyone with the chapter you've all been waiting for! Yes, it's the lemon! Finally at chapter 18, it's the lemon! Lol. Ok, it might suck because this is my first, first person one so……ya. Oh, and needless to say R rating ahead. Anyways, I'm really, really, pleased with the number of reviews I have already, I really am. At the beginning I wasn't sure if this fic was going to do because of the content but alas, I am proven wrong! Anyways, enough of my babbling, shout-outs:

InsaneShadowFan: Tasty n' Tangy? Ok then...# hides lemons # lmao. Anyways, I hope you liek this chapter, yes, it's going to be a lemon! Heehee. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

loathed wolf spirit: Hey, don't worry abouty not reviewing teh other chapters, I'm just glad that you're revewing. I know, I lvoe that song too and I thought taht it fit them so I used it...Anyways, I hope your feeling better today and I know - homework's a pain in teh ass!

DreamAnimeKitten: I know, Trish is every Punk's nightmare, lmao. I knew a girl like her once too, I think everyone has so ya...Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter! Hugs

Bloody-Skull-Baby: Wow...thank you so much. When I jsut started writing I read your fics and I'm like 'shit, she's so much better then I am' but having you say that i have talent...makes me all wamr and fuzzy inside, lmao. Thanks a ton andI will gladly writeon shaded pathway! Anyways, hope you like this chapter too.

peachigoddess: lmao! Anyways, here's the update, fairly quick in my opinon! Anyways, hope you like this chapter!

GothPoetofDarkness15: Oh God! Not another cancer...lmao. My best friends a cancer so I know what's like dealing with them. I'm a Scorpio, which would probably account for my fasciantion with death and otehr taboo subjects...and my temper, lmao. Anyways, you'll like this chapter if you like romance...

WolfOfShadow: I know, I amaze mysel f with how I keep up on fics, lmao. And seeing that a new Beyblade one should be coming out soon...# sigh # Anyways, have fun with your cleaning...urg

Amazoness Archer: OOOOOO, cool name! Yes, I will update, I am determined to see this fic through to the bitter end! I try to make my characters real and I put all my emotion into them so that they become realistic. Many of her thoughst and ideas, I've had myself. She's everything that I;ve felt, but she's not really me. Anyways, always glad to see new people! Thanks # hug #

Kota-77: OK, OK, I've updated! Shit man...demanding aren't ya? Lmao. Anyways, great to see new people join my fic, makes me happy, heehee. Anyways, just wanna say welcome and hope you enjoy the chapter!

Ok then, you're probably all thinking 'hurry the hell up women' so I'll let you read now

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 18

Surrender

He opened the door the apartment and lead me in gently. It was bathed in moonlight coming from the windows giving the place a feeling of being sacred. Like the temple of the moon Goddess Artemis it glowed with ethereal light. I was almost afraid to touch my own home from fear of breaking the spell.

"I'm getting changed out of this……..thing." He said with a small smile, looking down at the tux with a mixture of horror and…….something else.

"Ok." I said and let him leave. The bedroom light came on, flooding the hall with brightness. Maybe this was the legendary place where the sun meets the moon. How ironic that it was my home that was caught between two worlds, so much like my own heart.

My eyes caught the glittering of the patio door that led to the roof. The light of the moon danced along it as if summoning me. Who was I to deny the call of a power so great? I opened the door letting the semi-chilly midsummer air greet me as I kicked off my high heels and stepped onto the shingles.

They were still hot from the day and the warmth was as comforting as the breeze that lifted my bangs from my face. Slowly, almost with a dream-like quality I reached up and began pulling out the sticks and leather straps that held my hair in place. The strands fell as if in a waterfall and the breeze claimed them so that they blew softly into my face.

_**Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me?**_

_**And dear my love haven't you longed to be free?**_

This was a sense of freedom that only the night in the pool could rival. I was once again unleashed, the moon once again as my witness. I wondered if the sun was watching me from the other side, if Jo was amused by my shyness, is she was smirking at me and winking.

I had a feeling she was.

I sat down before laying flat on my back, the folds of the dresses fabric against my legs and my hands outstretched in offering to the stars. Can you see me, father? Can you see what I've become? Do you know how much I hate myself for leaving you?

_**I can't keep pretending**_

_**That I don't even know you,**_

I smiled and again let myself be lost in my own mind, my own thoughts as the stars burned into my eyes.

"Sekka?" His voice pulled my from my thoughts and I turned to look at him before smiling.

"Come out here." I said and sat up as he sat beside me. I turned and rested my head on his shoulder, a tension I didn't understand in my shoulders. "Beautiful isn't it? It's hard to imagine our problems as being big or important when you think about big the Earth is. Maybe they burn bright with their own anger and sorrow."

"No." He said slowly. "That's not it."

"What do you mean?" I asked softly, not daring to look at him from fear of what I would see in his ruby eyes.

"They're jealous."

"Huh?" I said stupidly.

_**And that sweet night, **_

_**you were my own**_

_**Take my hand, **_

"They're jealous that you're prettier then them, there trying to get more attention." His words made me blush like a stupid schoolgirl and I was glad that my face was shadowed.

"You're so full of bullshit." I muttered, making him chuckle, his hand reaching out to take mine.

"Well, I can try." This made me full-out laugh. Being this charming should be illegal, I thought before turning and locking my arms around his neck, staring straight at him.

"But I caught you." He just shrugged before leaning into kiss me. This kiss was unlike his others that were sweet and chaste and pure. This kiss was longing and I could feel his desire being stopped by his fear of scaring me away but I had absolutely no intention of running.

I had spent my whole life running from and pushing good things away from me, and I wasn't going to mess it up this time.

_**Were leaving here tonight**_

_**There's no need to tell anyone**_

_**They'd only hold us down,**_

He pulled away and I looked straight at him so intensely that his gaze shifted away from mine, but he couldn't hide the way they smoldered. All it would take was one small breeze and the small spark would turn into flames.

He turned away and got up, walking back into the house. He was so gentle, I thought, so caring and kind. He would thrown himself into hell for me if I asked, of that I had no doubt.

"Yami." He turned to look at me with a mixture of confusion and hope as I got up and followed him into the hallway. "Don't go."

_**And by the morning's light,**_

_**We'll halfway to anywhere,**_

_**Where love is more then just your name,**_

"No, Sekka." His voice was strained, firm and it sent ripples through my spine. "I'm going to make you do something solely for the fact that I want it." His eyes narrowed and turned angry, but I knew that he wasn't angry at me. He was angry at the men that had made me this way. Marik, those four men in the alley and the dozens that had done the same thing to me, at the men that picked me up and used me, the men that had hurt and broken me.

"Do you think that I would do something just because someone wanted it?" I asked softly, forcing him to look at me. "Zutto issho-ni itai, and nothing will change that. Not tomorrow, not the next day, not tonight."

_**I have dreamt all that lays for you and I,**_

_**No-one knows who we are there,**_

"Sekka-"

"No." I said, taking his face in my hands and staring at him. "Do I have to give a full-out invitation before you believe me? You know me, know my spirit, and you know that I wouldn't do this to make you happy or from a fear of keeping you." He reached up and took my hands in his, bringing them down and holding them, a mixture of longing and apprehension in his expression.

Finally he turned his eyes into mine, and he asked his question without words but it as if his eyes were voicing his words inside my mind. _Is this what you really want, Sekka?_ I didn't nod, didn't look back at him, and didn't say anything words at all. Instead I kissed him, wrapping my arms around his neck. _Yes._

_**All I want is to give my life fully to you,**_

_**I've dreamt so long,**_

_**I cannot dream anymore**_

The room wasn't far away and he broke away long enough to lead me into the doorway. His tongue went into my mouth and it was then that I realized that something was happening to me. This wasn't like all the other times when all I had felt when I had had sex was fear, hate and numbness. I was alive, my body was alive and it felt that I could only stay alive if he was with me.

"I love you." I muttered as his lips moved to my neck. I have to say it, I was eager. For the first time in my life, I wanted one of then men that wanted me.

_**Let's run away **_

_**I'll take you there**_

My hands, as if controlled by some outside force, began working on some of the buttons on the shirt that he had changed into. He must have found this somehow amusing because he laughed a little.

"Easy." He muttered and I nodded, letting him lead me and push me down into the soft mattress. "Easy." His hands slid behind my back and undid the zipper, loosing the bodice so that my breasts were barred to him. For a moment I felt very self-conscious of the scar on my shoulder, his mark on me.

His eyes flickered to it, narrowed, then softened.

_**Were leaving here tonight**_

_**There's no need to tell anyone**_

"He's not here." He muttered. For a moment I was confused as to why he said this, but then it made sense. The scar on my body was here, but his presence, his control, that was gone. Dead and buried, alive only within his dying memory.

"I know." I whispered back as his lips grazed it as if to purify a space of unholy energy. In a way it was. I wouldn't have been surprised if Marik had been Lucifer himself. I slipped his shirt off his shoulders and stared at his strong build.

He was strong, I had to admit that. It gave me a sense of warmth and protection. His hands hesitantly went over my breasts and my body, of it's own accord, pressed against his hands. He removed the rest of the dress and it fell forgotten to the floor.

He was looking at me with such intensity that I had to look away from him. I was almost completely exposed by this time and was just waiting for the inevitable to come. I did and I was left completely unveiled to him, scars and all.

_**They'd only hold us down,**_

_**And by the morning's light,**_

"I love you." He muttered, running his hands over me gently, as if he was sculpting a statue out of clay. Over my arms, breasts, stomach, and legs before going back up. On instinct they opened and he kissed me as he pushed two fingers into my body.

My back arched as a small moan escaped my throat. Sensations of electric heat were running through me and I wondered if this is what men needed to feel when they picked up hookers. Did they feel this kind of pleasure with me?

I threw my head and lost myself in the feeling of what he was doing to me. In a way, it scared me to realize just how deep I had fallen in love without even knowing. My breathing became labored as the feelings began to build up slowly.

He was being gentle but whether it was from hesitation or simply the fact that this is what 'making love' was all about, I couldn't know. I had a feeling that it was the second option though.

_**We'll halfway to anywhere,**_

_**Where no-one needs a reason,**_

My climax came quick and unexpected seeing as I had never really fully-experienced one, or maybe it was because that this was just better then most because there was emotion behind it, a tender feeling between two people, expressed in the physical flesh.

I lay for a moment, breathing as I felt my legs tingling. I honestly didn't think that I would be able to stand if I put this theory to the test. He was silent for a moment before looking at me.

"Are you alright?" I nodded.

"Yes, fine." I panted. "Definitely fine." This made him laugh a little which was a good thing. It showed that he was at ease and wasn't as worried about what mental repercussions that this could possibly create for me - not that they would, I knew that.

He shifted after a few moments so that he was looking down at me, everything I've ever known about heat or passion fixed intently into my eyes. He didn't have to ask, he didn't have to drop hints - I was the one who started it.

_**Forget this life,**_

_**Come with me,**_

_**Don't look back, **_

_**Your safe now,**_

Without thinking, controlled by desire and newly awakened sexual energy I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him into me. A look of shock crossed his face for a moment before he too, lost himself in desire.

He went gentle, almost painfully slow at first. I had a theory that he was making sure that the rapes hadn't damaged my insides. He must have been confident because he picked up speed making me moan out loud. My veins pumped fire and my body was more alive then it ever was before.

Sweat seeped into my hair that was beginning to stick to my face as my breathing became rapid.

_**Unlock your heart,**_

_**Drop your guard,**_

_**No-ones left to stop you**_

Our second orgasm came quickly and forced a moan out of me. He collapsed onto me, exhausted, using my breasts as a pillows, his hair matted with sweat. We lay there for a few moments, catching our breath, either of us able to speak. But that was ok, everything that needed to be said had been already.

Silence reigned and I ran my hands through his hair, my gaze locked on the ceiling. My heart was entirely gone from my body now, placed into his hands with this final act. It was his, in his very hands, and if she should crush it, then there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I closed my eyes, letting myself drift. His voice snapped me back to reality.

"Sekka?"

"Muhmm."

_**Forget this life,**_

_**Come with me,**_

_**Don't look back, **_

_**Your safe now,**_

"Are you ok?" His concern made me smile and I nodded, my hair fanned out on the pillow.

"Yes."

"I love you." His voice was soft, deep, sincere. It was safe to say that I regretted none of this. There was none of the familiar waves of self-loathing and shame that came with my previous sex experiences. All I felt now was his love in my heart.

"I know." I whispered back, using all my strength just to open my eyes. He was smiling down at me with a look that will forever be burned into my memory. It was a look of utter trust and surrender. I was sure that the same emotion was branded onto my face.

_**Unlock your heart,**_

_**Drop your guard,**_

_**No-ones left to stop you **_

My eyes fluttered as I fought to keep them open. The last thing I remember before sleep claimed me was the sound of his voice growing fainter and fainter and the feeling of his body solid and sure against my skin.

_**Now**_

A./N:

# Fans self # Got a little hot up there ne? lol. Anyways, I hope that this turned out as well as I wanted it too. Probably not, but I can hope, lol. I can't believe that I've gotten this far into the plot already. Doesn't seem like I've been working on this fic that long……. unlike 'Open My Eyes' which I was working on for ages……. Anyways, you know the drill. The faster you review, the faster I update!


	19. Restless Spirits

Disclaimer: Don't own YGO, just my characters and the plot!

A/N: Wow, no song this time! That's weird for me, but there were no songs that really fit this chapter seeing as it has two moods through it so……..ya. Anyways, this chapter is mainly a filler that ties up some loose ends and things are going to be ok until the end of this chapter, then it turns bad again. Heehee. Wow, I'm sadistic, lol. Anyways, thanks a ton for all the support and love that you guys have shown me! I love you all! Ok then, shout-outs:

loathed wolf spirit: Omg...does that time even exist in the morning? Lmao. Anyways, hope you like this chapter and sorry for the short shout-out...not much to day...urg.

WolfOfShadow: An hour? # twitch # Anyways, thanks for all the encouragement and reviews! Love ya, hope you like this chapter!

DreamAnimeKitten: # evil grin # if I told you...that's give away the plot now wouldn't it? Heehee.

Deceptive-Innocence: LMAO! That is the funniest thing I have ever fucking heard # is dying from laughter #

InsaneShadowFan: O.O Oh my...

Blue Savage: Updating! Thanks for liking this so much... heehee, makes me all warm and fuzzy!

GothPoetofDarkness15: Ok dude, no need to beat yourself up, I get the message! Best lemon ever? Wow...o.o Thankies!

CRAZYABOUTANIME: Updating! Yes, there will be a sad ending...when the ;ast chapter comes, have a hankie nearby. Good to see you agin! # glomp #

Alright then, here we go!

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 19

Restless Spirits

The summer heat of Tokyo was rolling in faster then normal this year. Spring was coming to an end and it seemed that al the students just wanted the year to be over and done with. I was no exception to this. But it wasn't because of the usual ridicule and hate that I was forced to endure - that had actually died down since the prom last month.

This time is was because I was eager to see what the summer would bring for us. By us, I mean Yami and I, of course. Ever since the Prom, when I had surrendered myself to him, there had been no fear at all. I wasn't leery of him, I didn't jump at his touch, I wasn't constantly looking over my shoulder.

I was at ease for what seemed the first time in my life. My mother had called the other day, asking me if I was ok. I was shocked at first, but in the end I was elated that she still cared enough to drop a line. I smiled at the memory and placed my coffee cup in the sink before gazing out into the sky.

It was still dark out, even though it was morning. I could here the running water from his shower in the other room and was tempted to visit him, but then I would most certainly be late for school. One week left, that's all and then freedom!

But not only would it bring freedom, it would open whole new doors for us. He would be going to college while I was doing remedial courses for the many subjects I had failed as well as taking night classes to help get caught up faster.

The water turned off and the door opened and closed again. I smiled a little to myself and checked over my clothing. I don't know why, maybe it was because I actually had decent clothes. The top was a tank top that showed a little of my stomach, which actually contained quite a bit of weight in comparison of what I was before. I was still slender, but not sickeningly so. With the top I wore a simple pair of jeans.

"I can't believe the school year's almost over." His voice made me jump a little and I turned to playfully glare at him.

"Scare the shit outta me why don't ya?" He just shrugged and opened the refrigerator and pulled out a dish of leftover food.

"Sorry."

"Sure." He just grinned before looking outside.

"It's a beautiful view….you should paint it one of these days."

"Oh yes, Yami." I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Our shared backyard with a small pool and children's toys all over the place - absolutely breathtaking."

"Not that, you smartass." He replied, swallowing the food that was in his mouth. "I mean the sunrise."

"I guess….." I said, looking out at the colors. It brought back memories of the time before me and him were together. The time when I had stayed awake in an alley from fear that the four men would return and I had watched the sun come up thinking of how so many things had changed.

"Didn't you say something to me once about your mother?" I nodded, smiling a little at the fond memory of us when I was still small.

"We used to watch the sunrise all the time when I was little." I explained. "She would come and wake me up, no matter the day, and we would watch the sun come up. She used to paint from the small balcony. I would be watching her, amazed at her talent. I imagine I'd still be fascinated if I were to watch her do it, even now."

"So that's were you get your artistic talent."

"I would hardly call it talent." I answered with a shake of my head. "My writing, I got from my Dad. He was a guitar player for a band when he was younger. The band stopped, but he never stopped writing songs. He was going to teach to play one of these days……" At this, I found I couldn't talk about him anymore.

I still felt absolutely terrible for not even calling or writing him for three years, and then not even attending his funeral. Yami placed his hand on my shoulders and I leaned into him.

"Yami……" I said, a sudden though occurring to me. "Can you take me somewhere before school. We still have a few hours." He nodded slowly.

"Where?"

"You get in the car." I said. "I'll know my way once we get driving." He seemed confused, but he also seemed to sense how much I needed this. That's what I loved about him - he always knew when something should or shouldn't be mentioned. It was as if we were so in tune with each other that sometimes I wondered why we even bothered to talk at all.

The drive was quite and easy, with him asking me for directions that I struggled to produce from my memory of where my mother had told me it would be, should I change my mind. Slowly the trees began to thin out until tombstones could be seen, shadowed against the early morning sky.

"Is this where………." I nodded slowly.

"Yes, this where my father is buried." He turned at looked at me, silently asking if I wanted to go on my own or have him come with me. I answered him by nodding, opening the door and closing it. I breathed in the morning air as I began walking through the graves, searching for my family name.

I'll admit that I was scared coming here. Afraid that his very spirit would rise from the ground and shout his accusations at me and chase me away. But the yard remained eerily silent and I could hear my own heart thumping inside my chest.

I came across the name 'Tate' scrawled across a whether beaten stone. The name of one of my forefathers was legible through the dirt, letting me know that I was in the right place. My father had always said that he wanted to be buried with his family, where he belonged.

I wished the same. If I was to die, I would want to be buried beside him so that we may talk in our graves. He would tell me that he forgave me for everything and that he loved me, and I would tell him a thousand times that I loved him underneath it all and that I was sorry.

His soul would be at peace and together we may find salvation and wait for my mother to find us and join us. The ground was soft and squished under my shoes but I paid no mind to it. What caught my attention was what was unmistakably my father's grave.

My mother had picked out a beautiful stone. It was fairly large with a flower design over the heading that simply read:

Daniel Tate

1969 - 2002

Beloved Wife Of Leanne Tate

Beloved Father Of Sekka Tate

Everything was fine until my eyes raked over the last sentence. Beloved father. How true that sentence was, and it broke my heart to know that he had dies never knowing how much his daughter had really loved him. Tears leaked from my eyes and fell to the grass in front of the stone.

I reached down to touch the marker of his body. It was cold, cold the way his skin must have been when they had found him. Cold, the way my heart had been to hang up on my distraught mother and not care that my own father was dead.

"Daddy." I whispered, before I had really even done it. "I'm sorry Daddy." I looked and said this to the sky instead of the ground. His body was dead, his soul had left it - it would be useless talking to a lifeless vessel. What I was reaching out to was his soul, praying that he was hearing me and smiling down at me.

I closed my eyes and reached with my mind for his presence.

"Daddy, I know you've watched me from wherever you are. If my hatred has kept you here, then I wish it no longer." I didn't really know why I was saying this, but I felt that I had to let his spirit free if I was anchoring it to the Earth. "Go now, to wherever you must."

My eyes remained closed but I could have sworn that I felt someone's hand on my shoulder and a distant voice whispering in my ear. The breeze picked up for a moment before dying down. I looked to the sky just as the clouds parted, letting the sun seep into the Earth, warming it.

He was free now, I was sure of that. All through my life, since his death, the thought that I could be anchoring him to this earth through my anger or the fact that I had never said goodbye had haunted me. Before now though, I didn't have the strength to come and face what I had been denying for years.

I still don't really understand why I chose now to say my good-byes. Looking back now, however, maybe I knew then that this was going to be my last chance to set him free. The feeling of his presence still surrounded me until we left the graveyard, and then I felt him slip away.

Yami didn't say anything to me for the whole drive home. In fact, he didn't even try to speak to me until we were back in out apartment, gathering our things for classes.

"So, how you said what you needed to?" The sudden end of the silence startled me for a moment until I could respond.

"I believe everything's as it should be." He seemed to accept this vague answer, knowing about my spiritual beliefs, but not fully understand the concept of them. That was fine with me, at least he didn't ask too many questions and just accepted it for the most part.

I was still saddened by the time we reached the school but I pushed my feelings aside as soon as I entered the building. There was no point of dwelling on my mistakes and living a life of regret. All I could do now was try to fix them and see where that leads me.

The halls were missing their usual taunts and snide comments, even the usual looks of disgust weren't as strong anymore. I couldn't tell you the reason for their change in behavior except for the theory that they may have seen how I had changed.

Or maybe that had stopped solely from the fact that I really didn't care anymore. Whenever they'd try to make me miserable I would just ignore them completely. They must have not had that much fun bugging someone that didn't care.

The day inched by slowly as they always seem to when you just want them to end. I think that Time itself actually had the ability to slow down or speed up - whichever one made us more anxious. The phrase 'a watched kettle never boils' is probably truer then most people think.

It seemed that it took hours for the end of the day to roll around, but time couldn't prolong something forever and eventually the last bell did ring.

I hurried to my locker, throwing it open and gathering all my things. He wasn't far behind me and I turned and smiled at him when he approached me.

"Another day, another homework assignment." I sighed. "Exams are killing me." He just smiled.

"Hey, you have to study if you have a prayer."

"You can say that again." He chuckled as I threw some of my things back into my locker, just my sketchbook and pencils with me.

"What's that for?"

"Art club." I answered. "I mentioned it last night……I just signed up a few days ago."

"Do you want me to wait for you?" I shook my head.

"You'll die of boredom for sure." I answered. "I'll walk home afterwards, it's not that far and I've had to walk farther in my lifetime."

"That's what worries me." I laughed and shook my head, playfully punching him on the arm.

"I'll be home by 6 at the latest, now move your ass." He held his hands up in surrender and gave me a peck on the lips before heading towards the car.

"Ready?" I jumped at the sudden voice beside me and relaxed when I saw that it was only Anna. She was a member of the art club and the one that I seen about signing up. She hadn't bothered to hide her shock at first that me, the infamous Sekka Tate had decided to mingle with society, but she was a sweet girl and more then ready to give me a chance.

"What? Ya." I answered quickly. "Let's move." The club was a small one, but it was still fun nonetheless. We were able to work on anything we wanted and that was a good thing. I had never really been one for being told what to draw. Whatever flowed onto paper came from my moods and feelings at that time.

My mother had often told me that if I was allowed to, I could lose myself for days in my work. When I was still at home, she would have to come up and remind me to eat or I would forget. The world just slipped away whenever I was drawing.

Whatever room I was in was my own little universe and I didn't even know that other people even existed. This is what it was like now. In the end, Anna was the one to come up and tell me that everyone was leaving.

"Really?" I asked in surprised, looking at the clock that read 5:30. "I didn't realize." She just shrugged.

"Some artists get like that." She answered casually. "My mother could eat nothing but peanut butter for days and not even notice."

"I know what that's like." I muttered and gathered my art pencils. I figured that I'd just leave my sketchbook there for tomorrow.

"Anyways, you'll be here tomorrow right?"

"For sure." I said with a nod. We said our good-byes and I headed to my locker, pulling it open before I could a arm shot out, the palm of the hand slamming loudly against the locker, making me jump.

"Hello, hunny." The voice sent a cold bucket of ice water into my stomach. "Miss me?" I didn't even notice that my hands were shaking until I heard the pencils clash to the floor, the sound mixed with the sound of my own terrified scream that echoed down the halls, resounding in the recesses of my own mind.

A/N:

MIWHAWHAHWAHWAHWAHAHWA! What that and evil ending? Heehee. I told you that things were going to go on, just guess who that is, guess! You know, I think I'm having a little too much fun with this! Anyways, you know the drill - the faster you review, the faster I update!


	20. Smite Of The Cursed

Disclaimer: # sigh # How many of these things have I written? Ya, that's what I thought. But atlas……. Don't own the lyrics to 'Realign' by Godsmack

A/N: Well hello again ya'll! I'm sorry for updatingso late but homework has been murdering me! My next update will be faster I PROMISE!Ok, ok, I know, evil cliffie last chapter, but I haven't done it much with this fic yet and…….. I couldn't resist. But I'm back now, and with a new name! My old one was just……… too damn happy, lol. Anyways, I suppose you all want to know what's going to happen by now so I'll get on with the shout-outs!

DreamAnimeKitten: Wow, first reveiwer who doesn't wanna kill me... and you'll see if it's who you think it is soon enough. And no, you didn't do anything to deserve the cliffie... it's just my cruelty, lol. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

peachigoddess: It might be who you think it is... I'm not telling, heehee. Thanks for teh review adn enjoy the chapter!

InsaneShadowFan: Yes, it was a nasty cliffie... wow...that's a lot of words for red O.o... thanks for pointing that out - I shall keep that in mind for the future. Enjoy teh chapter.

yami no rose: # stares # Wow... that's a lot of MORE's... and so, I have updated. # sits on top of pyramid # I'M THE QUEEN OF THE MORE! Lol, ok...anyways, hope you like this chapter!

Sakura Trees: No, it's not chicken lmao. And I won't tell you if it's right or not, you'll have to read and find out!

olifantje-emma: Yes, it is evil! But you all love me for it in the end ! Anyways, glad to see a review and enjoy the chap!

Blue Savage: # hands blue savage cookie# There you go...lol. Anyways, you'll see in this chapter if it's Marik or not # evil grin # enjoy the chapter...

Feebeefi: I know, it is a pity that there aren't many guys like Yami in the world. Anyways, great to see a new face... or screen name... you know what I mean! Thanks for the encouragement and enjoy the chapter.

GoddessAmethyst: I'm updating, granted, not as quickly as some may like - but I'm updating. And he might be coming back...and is he is I'm changing my name, address and phone number because I have a feeling a lot of people are going to want to kill me... I wasn't aware of that... strange because one time when I cut myself with a razor... it opened up and mage a purplelish scar... but then again, I took a swipe at the skin with a razor... didn't think I'd make a difference through. Well, thanks for informing me on that... I feel stupid now... really stupid...lol. Anyways, enjopy the chap.

GothPoetofDarkness15:I know, quite rule sucks...lol. Anyways, glad to see that you like this fic so much... makes a world of difference! Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Wow...that tooka while!Ok then………

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter Twenty

Smite of the Cursed

That's all my ears could hear - my own scream of terror echoing through the halls and corridors of my mind. The only thing that kept my legs from giving out was his brute strength holding me to him and the rough hand that covered my mouth.

"Shut up, bitch!" He hissed into my ear. "You'll give me away. I'm letting go of you now and if you move or scream, I'll kill you." His hand slowly let go of my mouth and I had to swallow back the horror and tears of fear that had reached my throat. Instead, I stayed silent.

He seemed to find this amusing because he smirked in that way I remembered only to well.

"What? No hello?" He laughed. "But then again, I suppose your still made at me, aren't you?" Again, I remained silent. This seemed to anger him because he grabbed my arm roughly, forcing me to face him. "Answer me!"

"I have nothing to say to you, Marik." I answered steadily. I wouldn't show him fear. Come hell or high water, I wouldn't be reduced to the cowering, whimpering dog cringing at his boot as I once was - not now that I had Yami in my corner.

"Good, you know your place." He laughed darkly at this and anger coursed through my veins. Instantly my mind was reeling with ideas of how I could get away from him. All it would take was one mad dash to someone and he would be out of my life again.

There was no need to panic! I shouted this to myself again and again but it didn't stop the slow seeping of ice that was traveling through my veins.

"You won't do this to me again, Marik!" I shouted and slammed my entire weight into him, shoving him back. The force of my body propelled my into a run that was cut short by a chain (probably from his neck) hitting and wrapping itself around my legs, sending me crashing to the floor.

_**Decisions made from desperation**_

_**No way to go**_

A small grunt of pain escaped my lips but before I could even think he was at my side and grabbing a fistful of my long hair, forcing me to look at him. I tried not to let my terror be shown in my eyes, but I had a feeling he knew anyway.

How could I not fear him after everything he had done to me? How could I stop the racing of my heart as he stared down at me with those cruel, heartless eyes?

"You've gotten bolder, slut." He hissed, dragging me to me feet. "Too bold." His eyes flickered to my breasts but I knew from the look of confusion, not lust, that he wasn't sizing me up sexually. It look a second before I knew what he had to be looking at. "What's this?" He asked in a would-be innocent tone as he took the teardrop shaped diamond in his hands.

"Nothing." I answered, knowing that he wouldn't believe it.

"Bullshit, you little whore!" He seethed. "A present from one of your customers I assume? Well, you won't be needing anything from them anymore." With a jerk of his wrist the chain snapped, my most treasured possession laying in his hands.

"Don't! That's not from customers, I don't even do that anymore!"

"Then what is it from?" I opened my mouth and then stopped myself. I couldn't let him know about Yami, he'd kick the shit out of him if he didn't kill him first. "The question, Sekka, was What's. It. From?" Again, I could come up with no answer. All I felt was hopelessness and fear. His hand came out and again stuck me, sending pain through my face. "Answer me!"

_**Internal instincts craving isolation**_

_**For me to grow**_

"It's none of your fucking business!" I yelled back, silently praying that someone would hear us fighting and come to investigate. His eyes flickered with rage before grabbing my hair, sending waves of pain through my scalp.

"You've gotten bolder." He mused again. "I'll have to break that out of you. I'll get my answer sooner or later." He promised, pocketing the necklace. "Now move!" He began leading to his car and I drug my feet in resistance the whole way - like hell I was going to make this easy for him.

He threw me into the car roughly and slammed the door. It was then that I knew I wasn't going anywhere but where he wanted to me go. I panicked.

"Stop!" I yelled, trying to open the door which he had locked. "Let me go!"

_**My fears come alive**_

_**In this place where I once died**_

"Shut the fuck up!" He yelled, closing his door and shooting out of the driveway.

"No!" I replied. "You're not going to do this to me again! You're not!" He laughed dryly in a way that sent ice through you.

"And who's going to stop me? You?" He asked mockingly. "Not a chance, you're too fucking weak to do anything about it."

"I'll kill you." I hissed, trying to keep a brave front dispite the way my knees were shaking.

"Try it, bitch - I'll waste you before you can even hit me."

_**Demons dreaming**_

_**Knowing I...I just needed to realign**_

Again, I could say nothing, just watch as he took me away from everything I've ever known. If only I had let Yami wait for me! If only I had asked him to pick me up! This was all because of me and I hated myself for it.

I had made myself easy prey for him. Hell, I had practically handed myself back to him with a big 'use me' sign across my forehead. The car pulled up in a run-down apartment building and instantly my hand went on the door handle.

The minute the doors unlocked I would run. I would run until I reached Yami or until my veins pumped battery acid - whichever came first.

"Don't even think of it you worthless little fuck-toy." He seethed, reading my eyes which I wished I could rip out of my head. He reached into his pocket and produced the handle of a gun, the threat clear. I froze at the sight of it, remembering the feeling of my stomach as the bullet hit me.

He opened the door for me and grabbed my arm, locking me at his side. Another resident passed us and he made it seem like everything was fine, but I wanted to scream for help. But I didn't, I knew that he would just kill me in the end if I did - maybe he still would.

As he threw me into his apartment filled with beer cases, packs of cigarettes and what I knew would be drugs stashed away somewhere, all I could think of what could I have possible done to deserve this.

_**Fell in a river of illusion**_

_**And apathy**_

He sat down and lit a cigarette, always keeping his watchful eyes on me, just waiting for an excuse to slam the heater into my skin.

My mind raced with millions of thoughts as everything began to take a surreal feeling to it, as if this was all a dream from which I would awake and be in Yami's arms once again. Yami………

Mere hours ago I had been talking to him as if we would always be together, as if I hadn't a care in the world. And now, I sat here watching as my world feel apart around me. I wished the rubble would crush me and end it all in one painless motion.

_**Drowning in a self-induced confusion**_

_**I'd rather be**_

"So, you still smoke?" He asked, holding the pack out to me. I nodded and with shaking hands took one and lit it. I watched him, he watched me, each daring the other to show defiance. Silence regained for a few more moments before he pulled out the necklace again. "So, going to tell me where this came from?"

"No." I answered firmly, making him smirk.

"Knowing you, you probably stole it."

"That's your territory - not mine."

"I'll be yours again, soon enough." He promised. "And you'll be working tonight."

"Will not!" I shouted, standing up quickly. "You won't a whore out me again Marik!" He stood up and slammed me into a wall, sending a wave of pain through my arm.

"You do as I say, slut." He commanded, taking a hot of his smoke and holding it towards me. "Or you'll know what I'll do to you."

_**My fears come alive**_

_**In this place where I once died**_

"Do it." I challenged. "Burn me, cut me, I don't care! Why don't you try killing me again!" I shouted these words at him, hoping to throw him off by wanting him to do what he did - maybe it would take the fun out of it.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll kill you soon enough." He seethed. "I'm just keeping you alive until I get what I want. Now where the fuck is this necklace from!"

"I'll not telling you."

"Fine." He shot and grabbed my hand, bringing the heater of his smoke closer to my skin.

"Don't." I whispered, hating myself for showing weakness but I remembered the feeling of it all too well. Remembered the smell of my own burnt flesh and I knew I couldn't let it happen again.

_**Demons dreaming**_

_**Knowing I...I just needed to realign**_

"Then where's it from?"

"A person……."

"A lover?" He asked, smirking with glee before striking me. "You're fucking another guy other then customers! What kind of a slut are you!" The pain added to my fury, my frustration, my hate.

"I'm not yours!" I yelled. "I never was!"

"You are mine!" He declared before kicking me in the ribs, the dull pain spreading across my side. "You know better then to fuck someone else! You're a whore, you know that? A WHORE!"

"A whore you made." I replied bitterly. "I'm a whore because you made me a whore - your whore. And now that I've fucked someone else, you hate it. You hate what you yourself created." He growled and grabbed me, forcing me to look at him.

_**My fears come alive**_

_**In this place where I once died**_

"You're getting rid of him." He commanded, pulling out his gun and readying it for fire. "Or I will." I stared at the gun pointing at me and wondered what the feeling of it between my teeth would be like. "Do you understand?"

"I won't." I muttered before he grabbed my hair again, making me eyes lock with his.

"Then I'll kill him." He promised, turning towards the door. I knew he would do it and not think twice. He was sober from what I could see and I didn't know if it was good or bad.

"No!" I exclaimed, desperate to keep him out of this. I would sacrifice to Marik if it meant he would live. "I'll do it." I muttered, hating myself for surrendering. He put the safety back on.

"Good." He handed me a cellphone. "Call him and tell him to meet us at the Night Owl tonight. You'll end it there - and Sekka." He added. "I'll be watching you, so if you tell him again……" He locked the gun, leaving the threat clear.

_**Demons dreaming**_

_**Knowing I...I just needed to realign**_

I nodded and slowly, with shaking hands, began dialing our number. My hands were shaking so badly that it took me three tries before I got it right. It rang for a few seconds until he picked up.

"Hello?" At hearing his voice I wanted to scream into the phone - to let everything out, to tell him what was happening to me and to let my life end as Marik pulled the trigger - the bullet embedding itself in my brain.

"Hey." I said as cheerfully as I could manage. "I'm going to be with some friends for awhile - art thing. So, I'll meet you at Night Owl, around……" I looked to Marik who mouthed the time. "10:00, ok?"

"Alright……. Sekka?"

"Ya?"

"Is everything ok?" Shit, he must have been able to hear the tremble in my voice. I was afraid to answer back for fear that Marik would know that Yami was suspicious.

"Yes." I answered. "I'll see you tonight." I quickly hung up before he could ask anymore questions.

_**My fears come alive**_

_**In this place where I once died**_

I hung my head, holding the dead phone in my trembling hands, my burned away cigarette in the other. The long hair that covered my face was like a veil in which I could use to shut out reality. I should have known that this would happen - that he would come back and destroy my life a fourth time.

_**Demons dreaming**_

_**Knowing I...I just needed to realign**_

"So, is it set?" I nodded, not trusting myself to speak past the tears that were trailing down my cheek- heated tears that my hair hid any from him. He said nothing, just puffed another cigarette. I threw mine to the ground, it burned away, forgotten.

Like my heart, the ember had burned, feeding off the paper and tobacco until finally, it hit the filter and died out. That's how I felt now and the familiar thoughts of death crept into my mind. I knew he would kill me when I had made him enough money, after he had punished me enough, he would toss me aside.

_**My fears come alive**_

_**In this place where I once died**_

I wondered where my body would go. I knew I wouldn't be buried with my father as I had once hoped I would be, we could never make amends in our graves, whispering words of regret and love through dirt walls. Would he shoot me? Probably.

Maybe he would burn me to death. Maybe he would stab me and cut my body up into dismembered pieces and toss me into the ocean. I would welcome any of the situations.

_**Demons dreaming**_

_**Knowing I...I just needed to realign**_

"You better start rehearsing your lines." He said, and I didn't have to look at him to see his cruel smile. "You're going to need them." He walked into another room, locking the door beforehand. As I sat in the room, alone, I remembered the dream I had in Yami's arms. The dream in which I had overcome him, the dream in which I wasn't weak, sitting here and cowering like a beaten puppy.

The dream………..

How I wished I had the strength that I had then.

A/N:

Ok, how many of you want to kill me for this chapter? # sees angry readers # uh………. Well, I warned you things were going to bad again! Anyways, you know the drill, please review and tell me what you think and I will try to have the next chapter up ASAP!


	21. Farewell To Dreams

Disclaimer: Don't own the fucking show or the lyric's to 'From The Inside' by Linkin Park.

A/N: Heehee, I'm back! Sorry for teh late update but I'm strating to develop something like a life that's brutally dragging me away from my computer...Anyways…… not much to say except that I told you this was going to happen so don't kill me! Besides……. It's an angst fic, right? # nervous laugher # Ok….ya…… shout-outs:

Crystal56: Sorry, wishes aren't always granted...lol. But I hope you like the way this fic turns out anyways - I was planning this ending from the beginning so ya...Neways, enjoy the fic.

Sakura Trees: lol, I forget things to so don't worry. And no, it wasn't chicken. Anyways, hope you like this chapter!

loathed wolf spirit: Awwwwww, luv ya too! Anyways, thanks for all the reviews and I hope you like this chapter!

WolfOfShadow: I am not afraid of your stick, seeing as yes, I was intending this ending from the first chapter I wrote so don't say that I didn't warn you either! Anyways, hope you like this chapter, lol.

Blue Savage: Hmmmmmm, lots of feelings I see. Actually, this fic is ending soon, but don't worry, I'm already planning on another agnst/romance to take it's place alomst immeditatly after so don't worry. Anyways, just try to guess the end of this fic #grin#

Haven of Darkness: LMFAO that is the funniest review I've ever gotten, lol. Anyways,sorryyou're so mad, and here's the wpdate so no-one has to die...right? Neways, enjoy the chapter.

GothPoetofDarkness15: Lol,. I used to rip the heads off my barbies! And you know how to curse in three different languages...wow, I'm impressed, lol. Anyways, enjoy the fic!

CRAZYABOUTANIME: The suspense has ended! Anyways, I won't tell you if this fic involves death or not, you'll just have to figure it out! But I"m not telling you, lol. Anyways enjoy the chap!

Sarah : Hello! I love seeing new reviewers! Thanks for the encouragement

Ok then……..on with the fic

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 21

Farewell to Dreams

I watched silently, brokenly as the sun began to sink behind the horizon. How I wished I could follow it and disappear from the reality of my wretched existence - wished I could just fade away and become forgotten within his memory.

More time passed until finally the door opened, revealing Marik who, by the glassy look to his eyes, was stoned. No surprises there - I had seen this to many times to care anymore.

"Come on, bitch." He demanded, reaching out for me. I instantly recoiled, making him furrow his brow in anger and grab me by the arm - forcing me up. "You're little boy-toy will be waiting……and Sekka….." He lifted his gun, loading it. "You know what I'll do to him if you try to make him play 'knight in shining armor'."

"Why don't you shoot me and save yourself the fucking trouble." I shot back, only half-hoping that he would do it. Instead, he smirked, placing the gun in his jacket.

"I don't grant wishes." He hissed, and I flipped my arms to hide the scars on the bottoms of them. Again, I was ashamed of the numerous scars that littered my body. But what right did he have to make comments about them? He had caused them after all!

I shuddered as I remembered the first time I had caught him cheating on me, the first time I cut myself. Little did I know then that it would become a near inescapable addiction that would follow me for years.

"Hurry up!" He commanded, shoving me through the door. I could do nothing but obey him, and I hated myself beyond words for it. I wished I had the strength to fight, but it seemed that fear had sucked my former strength clean out of my body.

I fought him the whole way to the car and said nothing to him as he drove to the Night Owl. He dropped me off behind the building, again threatening me that he would be watching. I no doubt that he would. I stood alone for a moment as everything replayed in my head.

It took a moment before I could regain my composure and walk with my held high to break Yami's heart. He was standing outside the doors, glancing around for me. I came up behind him, a serious look on my face as I prayed that I could do this without breaking down.

_**I don't know who to trust**_

_**No surprise**_

_**Everyone feels so far away from me**_

But it seemed as if he was standing in another world although he was mere feet away from me. He was in a world where the future was clear and bright - a world I could enter if I just had the strength. I don't think I've ever hated myself more then I did then.

"Hey." He said, turning towards me. "What's up?"

"Not much." I answered coolly, mentally relaying the things that I would say to him - things that would break his heart and bridge an ocean between me and my only hope. He instantly picked up on my signals and cocked his head to one side.

"Is everything alright?" How caring he was - how sweet he believed me to be, how loving and pure. Slowly I shook my head.

"No." I answered, taking a breath before forcing the words out of my mouth. "Nothing - I want you to leave!"

_**Heavy thoughts sift through dust**_

_**And the lies **_

His eyes widened in shock as he tried to register what I was saying.

"What?"

"I said I want you to leave." I answered, wishing that he wouldn't make this hard for me - my heart was already shattering in my chest as it was. "Go to college or university or wherever the hell you want - but you're not taking me with you!" The hurt in his eyes almost reduced me to tears, but I knew that it was either do or die - for both of us.

"What are you saying, Sekka?" He asked, confusion and worry written all over his face. "What the hell are you talking about?"

_**Trying not to break **_

_**But i'm so tired of this deceit **_

_**Every time i try to make myself **_

_**Get back up on my feet **_

Burning hatred seethed through me as I watched his pain - hatred for both myself and Marik. Marik for his return, myself for my weakness.

"Are you trying to be this stupid, or does it come naturally?" I shot. "Read my lips - fuck off!"

"I don't understand!"

"There's nothing to understand!" I retorted. "I want you gone, get it? Gone!"

"But, why?" _Because you're in danger_ I thought, but wouldn't dare let the words out of my mouth.

"Because…" I answered coldly. "Were done."

_**All i ever think about is this **_

_**All the tiring time between **_

_**And how**_

_**Trying to put my trust in you **_

_**Just takes so much out of me **_

"But I thought-"

"Forget what you thought, or what you think you know about what we so-called 'had' going for us." The words flew out of my mouth like poison, slowly killing me as I watched his heart breaking. Slowly, I felt my walls returning, stronger then before, and nothing was going to tear them down.

"But you said-"

"I was lying! Sweet God, you're so fucking nieve!" His face changed into pure agony. "Did you think that I loved you? That you had saved me? The only thing you can save is your fucking pity."

_**Take everything from the inside**_

_**And throw it all away**_

_**Cause I swear for the last time**_

_**I won't trust myself with you **_

I turned away, trying to get away from him before I completely crumbled. Tears were already pricking the corners of my eyes, just waiting to be unleashed and betray me. I walked as fast I could, praying that he wouldn't follow. I should known that they weren't going to be answered.

"Sekka stop!" He shouted, running and grabbing me lightly by the arm. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." I hissed. "Or at least, it would be nothing if you would leave me the hell alone."

"I sensed it on the phone earlier, and I know something's wrong." He said, ignoring my biting comments. "Just tell me what's wrong, Sekka. You can tell me - I love you." Those words leaving his mouth made a whole new wave of unwanted emotion engulf me. I was actually hoping that the weigh of my own pain would drown me and I would die in his arms.

"Oh knock it off!" I shouted. "Dear God, how desperate are you? Ever stop to consider that you're what's wrong?"

_**Tension is building inside**_

_**Steadily**_

_**Everyone feels so far away from me**_

_**Heavy thoughts forcing their way**_

_**Out of me **_

His eyes softened in pain and I could almost see him slipping away from me. If I wanted to, I could throw my hand out and stop him from drowning……… if it wasn't for the dark, clawed hand on my shoulder, I could save him - and myself.

"Fine." He hissed, anger finally taking over as he shoved my own hand back at me. "Have it your way." He turned and for a moment, I thought that he was finally leaving my eyes until he turned around, a whole new fire burning in his ruby eyes.

"What?" I demanded coldly, rolling my eyes as if he was annoying me when, in reality, I was screaming inside my own head and heart that I loved him and always will. I wish I could somehow tell him that without opening my mouth - my only prayer was that he feel what was deep inside my heart.

_**Trying not to break **_

_**But I'm so tired of this deceit **_

_**Every time I try to make myself **_

_**Get back up on my feet **_

"You know, I trusted you." He hissed. "I loved you! When my parents were shooting you down, I stood up for you and you know what? They were right………you used me."

The last words fell on me like a ton of emotional bricks, shattering the last hope in my heart that we could go back to the way we were. The tears damn near flowed right then and there, and it took every last once of will that they didn't.

I stayed quite, sensing that he wasn't done yet.

"And, congratulations, Sekka - you fooled me." He said, his eyes fixing on me with such disappointment that it stunned me, immobilized me. "You fooled me." He whispered again and turned away. This time, I knew it would be forever.

_**All I ever think about is this **_

_**All the tiring time between **_

_**And how**_

_**Trying to put my trust in you **_

_**Just takes so much out of me **_

I forced myself to remain standing until he got in his car and drove away. The minute his headlights disappeared, I fell to my knees, the tears that had been fighting for dominance finally unleashing themselves in a solid stream.

The gravel dug into my knees, but I relished the pain. It was something that let me know I was real - let me know that I was still breathing. The tears poured hot and sure over my cheeks, soaking my hands and dripping onto the pavement.

_**Take everything from the inside**_

_**And throw it all away**_

_**Cause I swear for the last time**_

_**I won't trust myself with you **_

_He's gone_ I repeated those words over and over in my mind, praying that they would get to that point where the words were so overused that they didn't mean anything anymore, but each time I repeated it, it sent new waves of pain through my soul.

Maybe that's why I kept repeating it, because I deserved every ounce of pain that I was feeling, and then some. I had driven him away - broke his heart and now, I would pay the price for the rest of my life, which I prayed wasn't long because I knew that I wouldn't be able to stand this pain.

_**I won't waste myself with you**_

_**I won't waste myself on you**_

_**Waste myself on you**_

_**You **_

It felt as if everything I had felt with him, learned with him, shared with him - that it had all been a dream in which I had woken up and faced reality. And now that I knew what reality was, I was trying desperately to hold onto a piece of that dream, a piece of that love and perfection.

But it was slipping through my fingers, leaving me feeling empty, devoid, numb. It wasn't until now that I realized my exhaustion and lack of strength. It seemed that maintaining the cold, hateful facade had drained me of whatever energy I had left within me.

_**I'll Take everything from the inside**_

_**And throw it all away**_

But I didn't lament it, I cherished the physical and emotional exhaustion, praying that it would allow me to open the door of dreams without a fight.

_Maybe Marik will take pity on me_, I thought, maybe he would see how exhausted I was and not make me make myself a whore again. Then I snorted darkly through my tears. Hell would sooner freeze over then he would consider anyone but himself.

The car came by and he opened the door.

"Get in!" He commanded, and I had no choice put to slowly drag my ass into the back seat where I curled into myself and let the flow of tears continue. I had no strength to fight them, no strength to stop the tide of emotion that washed over me.

What did surprise me was when he drove home instead of to some corner. He opened the door and lead me back inside. I didn't bother putting up a fight - I would only lose in the state I was in. He pushed me through the door and smirked as he shoved me onto the bed.

"Don't." I whispered, to exhausted to do much else.

_**Cause I swear for the last time**_

_**I won't trust myself with you **_

He just smirked and pulled out a small bag of power, mixing it with some water on a spoon.

"I figured since it was your first night back, I'd give you a break." He replied, heating the fluid up with a lighter. "Besides, I want the first piece of you before I throw you to the dogs." The words brought new anger into me, but it was short lived as numbness over took it.

I watched as the fluid bubbled and as he drew it into a needle, but I didn't know that it was intended for me until he reached for my arm.

"NO!" I screamed, jumping back. "You're not doing this to me again! I haven't done it in three years, I won't let you do this again!" My hysterical screams continued until he hit me to shut me up, and by the time he had managed to pin my arm down, the end of the needle entering my veins.

"There you go." He muttered, smirking. "This should make you easier to handle." It took a minute before I could feel it traveling in my body and I screamed at the familiar burning sensation until I was lulled into a state of surreal calm.

_**Take everything from the inside **_

_**And throw it all away**_

I didn't know what he had put into me, and I couldn't even fight as he tore off my clothes and entered me just as hard, rough and ruthless as I remembered it. And all I could do was stare blankly at the ceiling as he used me - again.

Again, I was reduced to being his little whore, and again, there was fuck all I had the power to do. My senses soared past human level and I swore that I could hear things that there was no way I should be able to.

The buzzing of a fly in the neighbors yard, children playing with tin cans across town, a dog running free in the city. And I swear that I could feel the salty heat of a lone tear as it traveled down my cheek - heard it as it left my face and splashed onto the pillowcase, slowly being absorbed by the hungry material.

_**Cause I swear for the last time**_

_**I won't trust myself with you**_

A./N:

Um……… ok…….ya, I'm going to make my escape now, while I still can, lol. I'm warning you, this fic is slowly coming to a close - I'm predicting about maybe four more chapters at the most. But, it's not over yet, so you can still enjoy my sadistic torture of my beloved character………. Wow……..I'm nuts, lol. Anyways, not much else to say except please leave a review and tell me what you think - or yell at me, it's your choice!


	22. Staring Down The Barrel

Disclaimer: Don't own YGO……..just my characters and the plot. Don't own the lyrics to 'If I Die Tomorrow' by Motley Crue either.

A/N: I'm baaaaaack! I'M SO FUCKING SORRY I HAVEN'T UPATED IN YEARS BUT I HAVE BEEN SO BUSY WITH EVERYTHING I BARELY HAD TIME FOR MY LIFE AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER! SUMMER IS HERE NOW SO I WILL UPDATE FREQUENTLY! GOMEN, GOMENM GOMEN! Anyways, this is probably going to be the second to last or third to last chapter of this fic. I know, your all heartbroken that this fic is coming to an end - and I assure you, there will be no sequel - but, all good things must come to an end sometime, lol. Actually, I think I'm giving myself too much credit here but hey. Anyways, shout-outs!

Crystal56: Me? Crazy? HELL YES! Anyways, hope this like this long-overdue chapter hangs head in shame

Sakura Trees: Not exactly tomorrow...or close...but it's here now...right?

Feebeefi: My updates aren't normallly this late...urg. But great to see a new reviewer and if you're crying now...you don't want to see the ending...

gothpoetofdarkness16: Sorry Jill...but you may not see 18, lol. This probably won't have a happy ending, to be honest. BUT PLEASE DON"T GRILL ME!

yugikid: The upate is here! And yes, Marik id fucked up, but he plays his part well. Neways, here you go!

CRAZYABOUTANIMEL Hey gave up quickly because he was in pain at her aggression... I wouldn't stick around to be bashed at, but that's just me. Neways, new chapter is here!

InsaneShadowFan: I am resisting to Kawaii powers! And yes, history repeats itself, doesn't it?

WolfOfShadow: I don't fear the stick because I don't fear pain...werid, I know. But here's the next chapter!

Dreaming Angel Spirit: Thanks...means a lot to here people say that! Anyways, I did that to Sekka cuz I can but hey, shit happens!

random Lol, thanks. And I am making it longer...see?

Haven of Darkness: Hate me if you must... I was kinda expecting people to hate me, lol.

Ok then…….on with the fic!

Like Petals From a Rose

Chapter 22

Staring Down The Barrel

The dawn broke on me, and never in my life can I remember a dawn looking so cold, so utterly alone. Despite the puffy clouds and sunlight, it looked as desolate as my drowning soul. I looked down at my naked body and muffled the angry sob that rose in my throat.

Marik was nowhere in sight so at least I didn't have to worry about him seeing that small flicker of utter weakness in my eyes and leap at the opportunity to take advantage of it. I felt sluggish from whatever drug Marik had put into me and I could barely remember the previous night, but the memories I had were bad enough.

I couldn't stand this, couldn't stand being his little whore. I would rather die then go through this humiliation again. Then the memories hit me. Yami…… the hateful words that had leapt from my mouth and into his heart. The last glimmer of hope washed away on angelic wings that I could never hope to get close to.

_**I wake up to find myself **_

_**After all these years**_

I didn't even notice I was crying until I felt the wetness on my cheeks. I stared at them in seeming amazement as they coated my fingers and cheeks, waves of pain washed over me so hard that it was almost physical, knocking me over and causing me to bury my head in the pillows.

I didn't know where Marik was and I didn't care. I hoped he was dead and out of my life forever, I hoped that he was rotting in the inferno's of hell, staring at me and seeing that he couldn't reach me anymore. I hated him beyond words, but hated myself more.

God, how I hated myself for handing myself back to him, for being as weak as I was. For being the little suffering whore curled in the blankets coated in the smell of his semen still lingering on the sheets. Then, an anger rose in me, covering the emotional pain and I tore my head from the sheets and stared into the window that showed the glowing sun.

_**And when all the time is gone**_

_**Still seems so unclear**_

Without thinking I tore the dark blanket off the bed and hung it over the window, instantly causing the room to become dimmer, giving an appearance of eternal darkness from which even the mighty sun couldn't pass. I deserved this, to be covered in my own darkness where I couldn't be touched by the purifying light.

My eyes skimmed around for any sharp object, praying that I would find something to release this pain with. I was done with tears, done with curling myself into a ball and whimpering! I found a razor that Marik used to shave in the bathroom and with the air of an expert, took it apart.

The blade hardly even glinted in the feeble light, but to me, the faint glimmer was brighter then a star. The metal against my fingertips was as soft and beautiful as silk. I watched with detached fascination as the cold metal dragged against my skin, the blood pooling right behind it, dripping down my arm.

The red fluid splashed onto the worn tile, showing up painfully vivid against the white floor.

_**Cuz there's no-one else**_

_**Since I found you**_

Just seeing my own blood seemed to put me into a frenzy and I lifted the razor again, slashing wildly at my arm. The skin opened a little, the blood pouring like a ruby fountain, hitting my bare legs, running down and making a puddle on the floor.

I stopped for a moment, breathing hard as I stared at what I had done to myself. I don't ever remember cutting myself this hard, but I didn't give a shit. Everything I had to care about was gone, and it wasn't ever coming back, I knew that.

_**I know it's been so hard**_

_**But you should know**_

My mother wasn't coming back, my father wasn't coming back, and Yami wasn't ever coming back. No-one was here for me anymore, all I had was myself, my misery, and the razor in my hand. The metal was my only friend, the only one that would listen.

No-one would care if I died now, there was no-one left to care. I would fade into the background and be forgotten, a distant memory and finally lost forever. A damned whore floating in hell's ocean and nothing more then that.

_**If I die tomorrow**_

_**And the minutes fade away**_

I had always had a certain fascination with death, ever since I was a child. Everyone thinks of it as a long, dreamless sleep, but not me. I saw it as sinking slowly and forever into a cold ocean where souls bumped into each other and continued drifting for eternity in the river of death.

Was that what God intended death to be like, what he was thinking when he created Man? Did he expect them to be such vindictive, merciless creatures? Such weak, trivial and petty little lambs? Did he think that when he gave us free will, that would continue to love and follow him? Has he realized his mistake?

_**I can't remember**_

_**And I've said all I can say**_

_**You're my everything**_

There was no real answers to that, no real way of knowing if he lamented his 'greatest creations' or if he pitied or even hated them. I wouldn't be surprised if he had forsaken us long ago, seeing what we had become, and knowing that not even his Son could save his now - we were that far gone.

My eyes started closing and I fought it off, not willing to pass out and be found by Marik. God knows what he would do to if I was unconscious. Instead, another idea was forming was in my mind. Marik always carried guns - always.

_**You make me feel so alive**_

_**If I die tomorrow**_

I knew he was going to kill me when all this was over - after he had fucked and made enough money off me. That would be his greatest pleasure - killing me. He had control of my life now. I would only stay alive as long as he permitted it, as long as he could use me like his little pleasure toy.

That is - as long as I stayed alive and let him do what he wanted. But I wouldn't. No, I wouldn't let him have his final win, wouldn't let him take his final pleasure in killing me on my knees with my head bent bowed before him.

No, I would kill myself.

There was no real reason for me to stay around anymore. Yami wasn't here to comfort me, to save me. All there was in my future was death whether I did it myself or not.

That was the only way I would win over him, is if I killed myself before he got to me. I wouldn't go out on those fucking streets again, I wouldn't be raped again, I wouldn't be in pain again, but just drifting along in the current.

_**It brings out the worst in me**_

_**When you're not around**_

If that was death, true death, then was nothing to fear for me. Even if hell was the damned inferno that everyone believed, then I would rather throw my body to the flames then let Marik win - I would throw myself into the fiery chasm of hell before Marik could send me there with only a bullet's kiss.

But I would kiss it first. Kiss it myself and surrender totally to my fate. With renewed vigor I began running around the room, looking for his gun stash. I didn't care that I was naked, what would nudity mean when I was dead? I opened and closed drawers, cursing to myself frustration.

_**I miss the sound of your voice**_

_**The silence seems so loud**_

My arm was still bleeding, the blood stopping to a slow drip that made splashes on the floor. Not that I cared anymore. Actually, I doubted that I could even be raped seeing as I just didn't care about it anymore. But in the case that I was wrong, I was going to end everything here and now.

Finally, after looking through all the drawers I turned to the bed. I looked under it, under the pillow, the sheets and finally stopped at the mattress - my last shoot. I closed for a moment, praying that I would find what I needed and lifted up the mattress.

_**Cuz there's no-one else**_

_**Since I found you**_

_**I know it's been so hard**_

_**But you should know**_

I smiled as I saw the small revolver laying almost like a gift on the base of the frame. I reached my hand out slowly, almost sensuality and picked it up, staring at as if it was the most beautiful and wonderful thing I had beheld. And in that moment, it was.

I slowly pulled out the bullet compartment and saw that it was loaded. Not that that mattered - I only needed one bullet to win my last fight. I slowly brought the gun to my mouth, placing it inside, and feeling the metallic taste against my tongue like the sweetest candy.

_**If I die tomorrow**_

_**And the minutes fade away**_

I closed my eyes for a moment, imagining what the feeling of the bullet entering my brain would be like. I doubted it would hurt, seeing as the death was almost instant. I was about to pull the trigger when I heard keys jingling. My eyes snapped open, freezing with me with fear, making it impossible to move my hands or body.

At the last possible second I found the strength to leap into the bed, throwing the sheets around me, the loaded gun still in my hands. The door opened revealing Marik whose cold and cutting eyes instantly found me. He sneered, thinking I was still helpless.

He didn't say anything, just chuckled darkly, throwing the keys onto a dresser and locking the door again before turning back to me.

"That diamond your boy-toy gave you must have cost a fortune." He commented, reaching into his coat and producing a wad of bills. "I got three grand for it."

_**I can't remember**_

_**And I've said all I can say**_

_**You're my everything**_

Anger flooded into me at that. He had taken the only shred of Yami I had and sold it for a few highs, I didn't say anything, but my grip on the gun tightened. If I wanted to, I could kill him right now. I could kill him and run as fast as I could back to Yami and tell him everything………

_**You make me feel so alive**_

_**If I die tomorrow **_

Everything inside me told me to do it, to lift up the gun and pull the trigger and free myself from his hold forever, but something inside me was holding me back. If I killed him, I would just go to jail in the end, but I would be closer to Yami then I was now. At least then he would know the truth of why I had done what I had done to him. Know why I broke his heart as cruelly as I had. I only prayed that I would have enough time to tell him everything before the police came and ripped me away from him forever.

All my life I had searched for the love and security that he had showed me. All my life I had wished for the taste of perfection that he had shown me, the trust he had given me. And here I was, so close to finding it again, if only for a instant as I was choking.

_**We've spent all our lives**_

_**Looking for a real sense**_

_**I've got nothing to loose**_

Marik turned to glare at me before looking at the window in confusion.

"What the hell have you done now you fucking insane bitch?" He asked, his face shadowed by the darkness of the room.

"I didn't want to see the light." I answered calmly. "And you should talk about insanity you fucking psychopath." He hand lashed out before I even saw it and the stinging in my cheek made me close my eyes against the pain.

"Shut your fucking mouth you little whore." He hissed, grabbing my chin and making me look at me. "And relearn your place!"

"I have no place with you." I shot back, earning another biting slap before he looked over at the window. Despite the blanket it was clear that the sun was beginning to set.

"Looks like you're going to get ready soon." He smirked. "The boys will be waiting for a little piece of ass for the night."

_**One thing to prove**_

_**I won't make the same mistakes**_

"I'm not going." I said daringly. I knew that I was probably going to be hit, but that didn't matter as long as I didn't have to make myself a whore again. He turned to glare at me, a crazed look in his eyes.

"What?" He demanded, as if challenging me to defy him.

"You heard me - or have you killed too many brain cells to understand English anymore?" He crossed the room in a flash and was on me before I could even see him. He grabbed a fistful of my hair, bringing my face levelly with his. I bit my lip, fighting against the pain in my scalp as he glared down at my helpless form.

"What did you say?" He demanded again and I tried to glare as best as I could in my situation.

"No." I hissed. A small cry of pain escaped me as his fist came out and struck me in the stomach, a boot to the ribs quickly following it.

_**Now I know everything will be ok**_

_**If I die tomorrow **_

"You listen to me you little harlot!" He yelled as he continued to kick me. "I own you, get it! You do what I tell you without complaint!" My hand under the sheet gripped the gun tighter and I made my decision. My hand flew up aiming the gun at him.

Before I could even pull the trigger his gun was facing me, my eyes staring right down the barrel.

"Do it you little bitch and I swear to God you'll be dead before you can blink." He promised, but I was sure that my face masked my lack of caring.

"Go ahead." I challenged. "I'd rather go to hell then be your whore." He smirked and kept the gun where it was, the silent threat clear. But instead of putting the gun down like he expected me to, I turned it on myself, fitting the barrel into my mouth.

_**Cuz there's no-one else**_

_**Since I found you**_

I was about to pull the trigger a second time when he lunged at me, ripping the gun out of my hands.

"NO!" I yelled as I saw my chance to escape him going out the window. He looked at the gun calmly before smirking.

"So you found it huh?" He asked, but it was more of a statement then a question. "Didn't think you'd be that smart. Well you want it so bad, fine." He opened the bullet compartment, spilling the bullets onto the floor before throwing it at me.

Tears of frustration were welling in my eyes now, but I held them back. All I wanted was to be away from him forever, was it really that hard of a fucking request?

_**I know it's been so hard**_

_**But you should know**_

He chuckled darkly at my misery before turning towards the door again, opening it and slamming it without a word. I had no doubt that he was going to go get stoned before dragging me to the streets to work as a hooker.

The minute I was sure that he was out of earshot I opened my mouth and let out the scream of frustration that had been building steadily inside. It was a strangled sound that sounded damn near inhuman and it died as quickly as it had risen.

_**If I die tomorrow**_

_**And the minutes fade away**_

The death of the sound seemed to leave me in an even more engulfing silence then before it torn from my throat, as if to mock me. My eyes drifted to my arm, coated with dried blood and turned away as if ashamed of what I had done to myself.

It seemed that just months ago I had sworn to myself that I would never do it again and here I was, right back where I started. Only this time I wasn't going to escape him, wasn't going to find some miracle source of strength in which to fight him.

_**I can't remember**_

_**And I've said all I can say**_

I had fought before and look where it got me - nowhere. Sure, I had managed a quick breath of freedom and hope, like a bird that had escaped it's cage and then was caught and thrown right back into it's metal bars.

They say that birds can quite literally die of a broken heart if they are left alone to long, but what about humans? Can humans die of the same cause, or does stubborn pride force them to continue on alone? Well, it didn't matter to me anymore.

Human or not, I was dying of a broken heart. Only, it couldn't literally kill me, only destroy my emotions and sanity. I stared down at the empty gun in my hands and my grip tightened. I had been so fucking close and I had lost.

But gun or no gun, I wasn't going to let Marik win.

Gun or no gun, I was going to find some way to kill myself before he could.

_**You're my everything**_

_**You make me feel so alive**_

_**If I die tomorrow **_

A/N:

Well, there we go! Dark and morbid chapter, but it's not over for Sekka yet. Two more chapters and then it's all coming to a close. But hey, it's being replaced with my new fic 'Tainted Wings of the Raven' It's another romance/angst that I think you'll like. Anyways, not much else to say, just review……..please?


	23. Childhood Memories

Disclaimer: Ok, If I owned YGO, I would be some rich old person watching the non-dubbed

(aka run-over) version of my own show and rolling in cash.

A/N: Here I am……….again! Probably the second to last chapter of this fic and the epilogue and this fic is done! YAY! opps, lol it's not that I don't like this fic, it's just that I always feel warm and fuzzy inside whenever I complete something big……..like a fic, for example. Neways, I might as well get on with the shout-outs!

Crystal56: They don't like lyrics anymore? Shit news to me. Where did you see this? Anyway, I'm a bitch? HELL YES! # eyes rocket launcher# ok, that's making me a little nervous, lol. Anyways, enjoy the chapter.

InsaneShadowFan: Ok, you're confusing me. Are you insulting me or complimenting me? 0.o

yugikid: Thanks for all the compiments, and here's the next installment just for you! Hope you like it.

I am a Fruits Basket Case: LMAO, I love you're name! Anyways, take Marik and shoot him all you want, but return him for this chapter K? Lol, hope you like this chapter.

Feebeefi: Sorry, no Yami saving here! But I hope you like this chapter anyway!

WolfOfShadow: Yes, this fic is ending in two chapters, but it's been a fun ride. Anyways, I have a new fic called Tainted Wings of the Raven that's going to be replacing this one, you check it out if you want, if you haven't already. Anyways, hope you like this chapter.

Haven of Darkness: Adding now!

serpent-vampfreak: Hey you! Glad to see you coming back! Here's the next chap and review when you can!

Ok then……..on we go!

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 23

Childhood Memories

Death………..

It ruled every thought, every feeling, every unshed and scarlet tear inside me. I breathed it, mourned it, and tasted it. The metallic taste of the barrel still stuck to my tongue, taunting me, teasing me. At some point I had finally gotten dressed and spent my time laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling as I thought up ways of destroying myself.

Unfortunately, nothing I came up with seemed good enough. I wanted to go out with a bang, I wanted to die in a way that would haunt Marik until his deathbed. I thought of hanging myself with the sheet, but it seemed to middle ages, to cliché and boring. I couldn't shoot myself since he took the gun from me and I couldn't find anything to hold my head under water to drown myself.

My hair fanned over the pillow like a black curtain, the strands treading through my fingers. I wondered if my own fingers in my hair was the last thing I was ever going to feel. Strange, a couple days ago I was hoping and dreaming of going with Yami to college and living our lives together, maybe get married and have children. And now, I was laying on a bed in a shitty little apartment dreaming and hoping of ways to kill myself and end the life of the little mewling creature I was.

I actually thought of attacking Marik and biting his jugular, imagined the feel of his blood coating my lips and the feel of him dying under my teeth. But in the end, it just seemed so meaningless. What was the point? I would get back to Yami for maybe a night before I was gone again and I couldn't do that to him. Better to let him think that I hated him then to haunt him with the knowledge that he couldn't save me.

What he didn't know was that he had saved me. He had let me feel happiness of only for a few short months, awakened my dead heart and brought the warmth back into my body that night after the prom when I gave myself to him. After experiencing that, I really couldn't die miserable could I? My prayer had been answered and now this was the catch.

I sighed and half-expected to feel tears on my face, but there was nothing. Although I had expected tears, I wasn't surprised that they weren't there. I could feel my body shutting down slowly, loosing the will to live. My lungs wanted to stop breathing and my heart was growing old and tired.

The room was totally dark and I wouldn't want it any other way. The ceiling I was staring at was nothing but a empty abyss that I wish I could just fall into and let go of life, death and every part of my existence. My arms were numb and I wasn't even sure of they were still there. I tried to move my hand and it twitched, letting me know that I was still alive - albeit reluctantly.

I sighed, marveling at the sound of my own breath leaving my body. I don't know if it was just that death was so close to me, but everything about my body, about the life flowing through it was fascinating. I was like a child - everything about my body was new, every movement was as if I was moving for the first time. Every nerve was white-hot and I could feel my blood rushing through my veins like fire, burning from the inside out. My arm was still covered in dry blood that had turned rust-colored and flaky.

I was so mesmerized with my own body that I didn't notice the door open until I heard laughter and the sound of it slamming. The light was turned on and a small cry left my throat as the light blinded me. I closed my eyes and waited until they adjusted before opening them.

And what I saw made my blood run cold.

Four guys accompanied Marik, all of them looking hopped-up on something. Everything about there pose screamed it, from the glazed eyes, stupid grins and laughter. I instantly went on alert and backed against the headboard like a cornered cat ready to attack.

"There she is boys." Marik said, presenting me like a fucking slave on the market. "The little bitch who tried to attack me."

"And I'll do it again." I vowed, anger pulsing inside me.

"Don't worry, Sekka." He said, pronouncing my name like a poison - it was almost flattering. "These boys are gonna show you your place."

"Over my dead body." I hissed making the boys laugh.

"Feisty one is she?" One of them asked. He was blonde with topaz eyes the size of dinner plates and an arrogance about him that I instantly loathed.

"You have no idea." I answered, my eyes turning into slits of fury. He merely laughed it off and reached into his pocket, producing a small wad of bills and handing it to Marik.

"And you said as much as we want right?" Marik nodded in confirmation. My blood instantly went cold as the other three produced the same amount of bills and walked towards me.

"No!" I yelled, jumping against the wall, full and ready to fight as much as I had to. I wasn't going to get raped again. The blonde came near me and I punched him, sending him back, but only fueling his anger. He grabbed my hair and I mentally wished I had cut it for exactly this reason.

"You're going to get it now, bitch." He growled and I did the only thing that I could do with my hands held behind my back - spit in his face. It was slightly pink, tinged with the blood that had come from me biting my lip and he growled in anger while I smirked up at him.

I wasn't going to yell, scream and cry and give them the satisfaction of seeing my fear. Instead I was going to make them wish they had never stepped foot in this fucking room.

"Hey man, are you going to let her get away with that?" One of his friends asked. He had black hair with fiery green eyes and I smirked at him, letting my insubordination shine through in all it's glory.

"Like hell." He muttered and struck me across the face. It hurt but I squeezed my eyes shut, locking the tears of pain behind my eyes.

"Tie the bitch to the bed." The third commanded. He had red hair and brown eyes that reminded me of a Satanic puppy's.

I remained still and quite while they tied my hands and then I struck. My foot lashed out, hitting the blonde in the groin before spitting on him again.

"That's for hitting me." I hissed before turning on the others with eyes that clearly said 'bring it on'. This was my last chance to fight against them. If I lost and they raped me again, then I was raped again, but I wasn't going to make it easy.

"Derek!" The redhead said, looking at the blonde that was clutching himself and rolling around in pain before locking eyes with me. I knew I was at a disadvantage. Five guys - well four now - against one girl with her hands tied behind her back, but I was going to try.

"Wanna join him?" I asked and he gulped.

"I say we all grab her at the same time." Marik said, smirking although his eyes radiated rage. "I can't believe this, you can't even handle one little girl."

"She's not a girl." Derek grunted. "She's a bitch from hell."

"Thanks darling." I shot back, sarcasm dripping from my tongue. But when all four - including Marik - came at me and grabbed my arms, forcing me on the bed, I knew it was over. One of them - I assumed it was Marik because of the skill he used - grabbed my shirt and tore it off. It hurt my neck but I held the pain in as he removed my bra, exposing my white breasts to the four strangers. Derek had gotten back up and looked pissed. I was pleased with myself.

"Nice tits." He mused and I glared up at him. He merely smirked. "For a bitch from hell."

"She's not that hard to tame." Marik growled, going for my jeans. I tried to kick and make it hard for him, but he sliced them down the sides and removed them along with panties, leaving me totally exposed.

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I held them in.

I may have lost, but I wasn't defeated.

He dragged me onto the bed and tied my legs down before tying my arms to the bed posts. They were all staring down at me like I was some kind of toy and I felt sick to my stomach. I honestly hoped that I vomited while one of them was fucking me - that would be something that he would never forget, I was sure.

"I want first crack at her." Derek hissed staring down at me. I glared back at him, holding down all the fear inside me. "She needs to learn some respect." He crawled on top of me and forced himself into my body. I was surprised I didn't feel it, but I should have expected it.

This had happened before, that I had been raped but didn't feel it. My eyes glazed over and I laid still like a corpse, letting them do whatever they want. Not accepting, but not fighting either - just laying there. One by one they repeated the process until I couldn't remember how many times it had been or how long. I remember thinking that Marik didn't have to drug me last night - my mind gave me the same effect.

A state of surreal calm, silence and numbness. One of them said something about my scars and new cut but I can't remember what it was exactly. I remember him licking at the dry blood though, remembered the feeling of his hot tongue over the wound, how it burned against the cold of my flesh.

My body shut down, only my mind was alive and even that was starting to block out everything. All I felt was a dull pain and the comment from one of the males that I was starting to bleed.

I didn't care.

My mind went back into my childhood, memories of my father and my mother as a family.

I saw myself as a child with long raven hair and clear, happy blue eyes. My father pushed me on a swing and I laughed because I felt like I was flying. My mother was sitting on the back porch, doing something or other, but the expression on her face was happy when I hugged her and called her Mommy.

My went forward a few years and I was in my room, doodling on a sketch pad. My hair was shorter, to my mid back and I was humming some tune that I had long ago forgotten I knew. But I knew it now, it was a lullaby that my mother always sang to me and I was humming it myself, content in my own little world.

I wondered if even then, deep down inside, I had known that this is how my life would go. That I was such a cheerful child to make up for the years of the hell I would still have to endure. Actually, now I thought about, I didn't have one singe unpleasant childhood memory until I hit the age of ten and the fights started.

My mind went through my life, and I went back to when Jo was still alive. She would come over all the time and we would laugh and do all the things that young girls did. She would sleep over and we would stay up late, exchanging ghost stories and then scaring each other so that we slept with the light on after.

With each memory my mind went deeper into it's sanctuary of happy times and laughter, when I was young and still innocent, living in a world of sunshine and rainbow kisses.

I knew that the only reason I was thinking of this was because my mind was blocking out what was happening to me, but I was happy to go into my mental refuge.

That was, until someone slapped me.

My eyes snapped back into focus, almost like coming out of sleep except I knew I had been awake - lost within my mind, my body becoming an empty shell.

"Back hunny?" Marik teased. I flicked my empty eyes over him, but refused to reply. The males were getting dressed and it took a moment for me to register the feeling of hot dampness around my thighs. I looked down and saw the sheets stained red with my blood and still, I felt nothing.

Marik just sighed at my refusal to speak and turned back to say goodbye to his buddies. The door closed and I was alone with him. I figured he would try to come at me and have his fun but he only untied and smirked.

"You made me four hundred dollars tonight." He said with a dark laugh. "I should do this more often, better then letting you go off with men and run away." Again I said nothing, only turned over, pulling the sheets soaked in my own blood over my body. "Fine, stay quite you psycho whore." He snapped and flopped onto the couch and switched off the light, leaving me in darkness.

Only in darkness would I let the tears leak out of my eyes.

A/N:

Not the longest chapter in the world, but long enough. Anyways, twisted chapter, I know but hey, it's what I do. Wow, one last chapter, the epilogue and then I'm done! Wow, never thought I'd make it this far. Anyways, please leave a review and tell me what you think!


	24. Even In Death

Disclaimer: Shit, I forget how to write these things! -- Ok, I obviously don't own the show or the lyrics to 'Bother' by Corey Taylor from Slipknot.

A/N: I DON'T THINK I CAN APOLOGIZE ENOUGH FOR LEAVING THIS FIC IN THE DUST. I WANTED TO WRITE THE LAST CHAPTER BUT I KEPT PUTTING IT OFF FOR LIKE A YEAR. I'M SOOO SORRY EVERYONE. I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF I LOST READERS AND IT'S ENTIRELY MY FAULT. I PROBABLY WON'T EVEN GET REVIEWS, I DON'T DESERVE THEM! BUT TO MAKE UP FOR I I'M UPLOADING THE LAST CHAPTER AND THE EPILOUGE! PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! A THOUSAND TIMES I'M SORRY!

Like Petals From A Rose

Chapter 23

Even in Death

As with so other mornings lately I awoke to the silence of the dawn, my own insanity and the depression into which I was steadily falling. A dark place in which I hoped no light could reach me. I had thought that I couldn't get any lower, and apparently I had been wrong. Death was my every thought, every breath I drew. I knew I had to find a way to end this misery before he did.

My life was something I would never let that bastard have - ever. He had already ruled it, ruined it but I would never let him own it. It would be my ultimate defeat, the ultimate mockery of everything in me that hated him. The stickiness and flaking of the dried blood between my legs only fueled the certainty that I absolutely could not survive another day.

Once upon a time it was fear that had held me back from ending my life, and then it had been love. Both were gone and there was nothing between me and the six-foot drop into my own grave. I moved out of the bed slowly and dressed in some old clothes that were laying around. I didn't care that I was wearing his clothes, it would make my mockery all the more pronounced when it clothed nothing but a corpse.

_**Wish I was too dead to cry**_

_**Self-affliction fades**_

I wanted to cry. I wanted to cry and scream and throw myself against the walls but I was beyond that point, far beyond caring and so far beyond ant form of strength. I wanted to fight him, to kill him and make him suffer like I had. I wanted to see his blood flowing over my hands and onto the floor. I wanted to hear his screams, see his face contorted in pain.

But I wouldn't.

I would hurt him in a way that he feel all the more, hurt him a way that he could never get revenge on me. I would end this myself and leave him in the dust. But I had to figure out how. I couldn't hang myself and I couldn't shoot myself and I couldn't poison myself and I couldn't OD myself. But I would kill myself if I had to hold my own head under water!

_**Stones to throw at my creator**_

_**Machochists to which I cater**_

And then, without anything triggering it, Yami's face appeared in my mind and my heart gave a great lurch. I wanted to tell him everything, that I loved him, needed him and what Marik had done to me. I wanted him to know everything, how much I loved him, and always would. How much he had given me, how much I still had.

I wanted him to know it all, every last tear I had cried, every smile I ever gave him. I loved him, even now, on the day of my death he still brought a feeling of comfort over me, like a razor to someone slitting their wrists in a public bathroom.

The room was dark even though the sun was shining outside. The blankets I had put up blocked the dreaded light away from me. I couldn't stomach the sight of joy, the sound of laughter probably could have made me deaf. I would claw my own eyes out before I saw someone smile at me, would rip out my own vocal chords before I laughed.

_**You don't need to bother**_

_**I don't need to be**_

I was slipping, I could feel it, like so many times before but nothing holding me back. Not fear, not hate and not love. There was nothing to stop me. Not even Marik could stop me because he wasn't here. He was outside fucking whores and injecting drugs, spending the money he had made from my rape. Nothing but me and a huge black hole.

No-one was going to come and save me like Yami had in the past. No-one was going to come and stop me from ending my life, no-one was going to hug me and rock me and tell me that everything was ok. Yami didn't know I was here and I had only myself to blame.

_**I'll keep slipping farther**_

_**But once I hold on**_

_**I won't let go till it bleeds**_

And still, I had to thank him. He had given me something that people very rarely get in life. He had shown me love, brought back something in me that I thought was dead, he had given me back my life let me believe for awhile that things did have happy endings. I loved him to death for that. I loved him, and I here I was, about to die. It didn't seem right, did it?

I sat down on the edge of the bed and winced when I felt the pain in my crotch. Those bastards really did a number on me, but it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered, except that I was going to get the hell away from him once and for all. If he wanted me, he could come to hell and rip me out of the screaming pits himself.

_**Wish I was too dead to care**_

_**If indeed I cared at all**_

All of the times I had let him beat me without complaint, all the times I listened to him to prevent them, I was going to show him that he couldn't control me. I was going to scream the thousands of words that I had wanted to before but held my tongue in fear. This was the last day that I was ever going to live and I knew that we he buried me in the ground all he would hear was my laughing.

_**Never had a voice to protest**_

_**So you fed me shit to digest**_

I got off the bed and walked into the bathroom slowly, taking small steps and trying not to shout in pain from the bastards that had raped me………..again. I caught my reflection in the mirror and stopped, shocked at myself.

I looked exactly like I had when Yami had first found me. Bone white, thin, my hair clinging to my arms, the soft skin under my eyes ringed with circles. For some reason, my own reflection disturbed me. It seemed to clarify that Yami was gone, that everything his love had made me look like had been drained out over the last two days, or was it weeks? I couldn't tell anymore.

I was truly back to being the whore I had been when he first noticed me. And I could remember the words of the stupid blonde bitches in the hallways. Ha ha ha, look what the cat dragged in! I wanted to look away but couldn't. I had put myself under some kind of hypnosis with my eyes, deep and haunted and gaunt, the skin looking like it was stretched too far on my pale face.

_**I wish I had a reason**_

_**My flaws are open season**_

_**For this I gave up trying**_

_**One good turn deserves my dying**_

It was the terrifying feeling of finding yourself back at the same tree after days of travel, seeing your own cut marks in it. I was truly back at square one, back to the drugs, the beatings, the being a whore. But I had memories now, I knew what it was like to be loved, to be touched slowly and sweetly instead of pounded into like a insignificant object. I knew what it was like to live. I had seen the light, and for me that was enough.

Before I knew what I had done I heard a shattering sound and my fist was in my reflection and the shards of the mirror were falling nosily onto the floor. My hand was bleeding, the hot blood running over it and dripping onto the sink. It was as if a burst of realization hit me and I suddenly saw my way out.

_**You don't need to bother**_

_**I don't need to be**_

_**I'll keep slipping farther**_

It was so obvious that I had to wait until it was right in my face before I clued in and I slowly saw my bloody reach out and pick up the largest shard of glass feeling as if someone else was controlling my limbs. The glass was cool and I could see my own reflection in it as I held it out in front of me. Something about my white skin and black hair seemed to transfix me and I merely stared. I was going insane, I knew that and I couldn't care less. What did trivial things like sanity mean to me now? Less then nothing.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" I jumped and the shard of glass fell out of my hand but I didn't yelp in surprise. In fact, I remained almost unmoving except for the glass falling as I turned to look a Marik. I didn't reply.

_**But once I hold on**_

_**I won't let go till it bleeds**_

"Fucking psychotic slut." He hissed, walking over to me and ripping the shard from my hand and making another cut. I felt the hot blood rush over my cold hands, taking a momentary pleasure in the pain before I found my voice.

"You only have yourself to blame for that." My voice was hollow, dead. I might as well have been a talking corpse. I pretty much was. He stopped and turned to me, anger in his eyes.

"What did you say?"

"Deaf?" I asked calmly. "Or to fucking stoned to understand a goddamn thing?" He stormed over to me and grabbed my hair, forcing my head back and pain to shoot through my scalp. He was stoned, I could see it in his glazed eyes.

_**Wish I'd died instead of lived**_

_**A zombie hides my face**_

"Shut your fucking mouth whore." He snarled and something in me broke at the moment. My fist came flying up, striking him right in the side of the face, catching him off guard. Clearly, he wasn't expecting me to try and defend myself. He snarled and spit out blood looking at me as if he was going to kill me. "YOU BITCH!"

He grabbed and slammed me into a wall but I was beyond pain I turned and pushed him back with all the strength I had. I don't remember running into the bathroom or picking the mirror shard but I must have because the next thing I remember is me pinning him on the ground, shard raised.

"Not so fun now is it?" I demanded, feeling a strong sense of power wash over me. "Not so fun when the helpless little girl turns the tables, huh?" I started laughing and knew full well that I was completely fucked in the head.

_**Wish I'd died instead of lived**_

_**A zombie hides my face**_

"Crazy bitch." He snarled and I laughed again, I couldn't stop. It cost me though because he took the opportunity to throw me off him while I was lost in my own insanity. I hit the floor hard and he was on top of me, hitting everything he could find and screaming at me. "Fucking slut, think you can whatever the fuck you want!" He was screaming and that was all I heard, along with the sound of his fist hitting my skin. Arms, neck, face whatever he could get at. And suddenly, I lost all control.

"NO!" My hand was up and came down in a quick, slashing motion. I saw his face stop, shocked, contorted in pain and surprise before he fell of me. The blood was already flowing, covering him and the floor and all I could do was stare at the shard of glass sticking out his back.

"You……." He tried to reach out and touch me but I back away, watching his silver hair turn scarlet. "You………fucking………..whore…….you…." He was having trouble forming words as he blindly grasped for me. I couldn't get over the amount of blood, it was everywhere. On his clothes, in his hair, in a dark puddle on the floor. He tried to move, stopped, tried again and then he went completely limp, his eyes loosing their glimmer as he died.

Most people would be running around, screaming at the top of their lungs and freaking out but I didn't. I curled myself farther into the corner and stared at his corpse wordlessly. I tried to move further away and my foot hit something. I looked down to see that it was the diary that I always kept with me. The word 'diary' was written across it in golden lettering on a velvet cover.

Shaking I reached out and ran my hand along the cover. I opened the lock, fishing for my key necklace, the one that Marik didn't think was expensive enough to steal and opened it. Slowly, an idea came to me. I found a pen and began writing rapidly, my hands flying over the pages and I was acting as if everything was perfectly normal, like I hadn't just killed a man and his corpse was on the floor next to mine.

_**Shell forgotten with it's memories**_

_**Diaries left with cryptic entries**_

When I was finished I paused and then flipped to the back of the book, tearing out a page. I quickly wrote down Yami's name and address. I walked past Marik, only pausing briefly to look at his mangled body. I was dying, but at least I was taking that bastard with me. I felt an uncontrollable feeling of power creep up on me. He couldn't stop me. When all was said and done, he couldn't stop me.

That bastard had tried though, there was no mistaking that but in the end I was the one who was laughing, I was the one who owned him, I wasn't the one wearing the collar and being jerked around as he pleased. I knew, somewhere inside me that someplace within my heart I should feel remorse for what I've done.

_**But once I hold on**_

_**I won't let go till it bleeds**_

But I just couldn't. I stared at his body, his face slack and his purple eyes open and I found not one trace of guilt. Did that make me a monster? Or was I merely a women pushed beyond all levels of control? I decided to let the news headlines reach a verdict, I didn't give a shit anymore. I didn't care if I was a monster, so was he. Hello pot, I'm kettle………

_**You don't need to bother**_

_**I don't need to be**_

I shook my head, unable to believe myself. I was a suicidal murderer and I was making jokes about pots and kettles. I really was loosing it…… not that it mattered. I walked into the bathroom and looked down at the shards and smiled bitterly, picking one up and feeling the smoothness and weight of it.

I'm going to close the cover of the diary now, tucking Yami's address into the cover. I do this before I place the book on the sink and turn back to the shard, picking it up in my bloodstained hand.

Oh happy dagger.

_**I'll keep slipping farther**_

_**But once I hold on, once I hold on**_

_**I won't live down my deceit**_

A/N: Well, there it is, the last chapter of the story. It wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be but I guess you can only stretch a suicide scene for so long before the readers want to kill themselves, lol. I updated the epilogue with it so please march forward and enjoy. Leave a review if you're bored. I won't blame you for snubbing me. . 


	25. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Ok, don't own the show people! I don't own anything except the computer I'm writing on! And I don't even know the song I used for this is. I dunno, I heard it when I was watching the end credits of Return of the King (LOTR, obviously) and liked it so I wrote down the lyrics. If you want to hear it, watch the end credits.

A/N: Here is the epilogue of the story, which means that I can sleep now knowing that the fic is finished. It's be a wild ride and I want to thank everyone who reviewed for all the encouragement, it means the world guys, it really does. #BIGHUG# And I also want to thank DeceptiveInnocence for all her help with ideas and screaming at me to write when I was too lazy. Thank you all and tons of cyber candy for everyone!

Like Petals From A Rose

Epilogue

I flipped the last page of the small book in my hands, trying to fight down tears. I've read this book many times since and even before her funeral and I'm sure I will again. Everyday I've asked myself why, wondered if I could have saved her in any way. She assures me that I couldn't have through a note that slid out from the cover when I opened it the first time, but it's natural to torment yourself like this I think.

_**Lay down**_

_**Your sweet and weary head**_

_**Night is falling**_

_**You have come to journeys end**_

I pick up the note, flicks of blood are still visible and it horrifies me to think of the hell she must have suffered before she took both of their lives and, in a way, she took mine, too. My eyes start to skim the words and I feel a small wave of comfort wash over me and I feel as if she is talking to me from beyond her grave. I can almost hear her voice speaking the words.

My love,

I'm sorry for what I've done, you know what is by now I'm sure. I love you. Don't ever forget that. I loved you and I still do. There was nothing you could have done so don't torment yourself thinking 'what if?' I think we both knew that I would end up this way sooner or later.

I love you I want you to know that you have given me something that very few people get to experience. You gave me everything I ever could have wanted and you showed me what it was like to live. Before you I was dead. I was dead and empty and you changed all of that.

I'm sorry that I can't be with you, I wish I could be but I can't. And I don't want to hold you back at all. Go out, get married and have children. Love your wife, love your parents, love your kids but always keep a small place in your heart for me. I wish I could be with you, but we both know that this is for the better.

I just wanted to thank-you for letting me have hope, if only for a few short months I believed in happy endings.

Standing beside you in life or Death,

Sekka Moto

_**Sleep now**_

_**And dream of the one's who came before**_

_**They are calling**_

_**From across the distant shore**_

I fold the paper, placing it inside the cover again and notice, not for the first time that she signed my last name instead of Tate. I think it was meant to tell me that she was mine, no matter what and I want to cry and smile at the same time.

I didn't know much about what happened on the day she killed herself, only that they found the body of Marik Ishtar with hers and that it was clearly a murder-suicide. They found a great deal of drugs in both of their bodies but they suspected that hers wasn't optional. They were also able to determine that she had been raped as well as beaten. I still want to kill the bastards that did it to her.

He wanted to hate her for what she did, killing herself and leaving him behind shaking in the cold but as he stared down at her grave he found he couldn't. He probably would have done the same thing if he had been in her shoes. But at least she left him the diary and the comfort of knowing that I had made her truly for at least a while and that she loved me. I felt a dampness around my eyes and discovered that I was crying silently.

_**Why do you weep?**_

_**Why are these tears upon your face?**_

_**Soon you will see**_

_**All your fears will pass way**_

He had never seen her body, they wouldn't let him. In the end he was glad that he didn't see her like that, laying on a table, covered in bruises and blood, her wrists slashed open. He shuddered at just the thought, glad that he had never seen the image. The way he remembered her was the night that he had made love to her and watched her sleep.

Her face had been smoothed, dark hair touching her cheek and a smile on her face as her small breasts rising and falling in a steady rhythm. That was how I remembered her, even if the urn was lying beside me as I stared at her grave.

_**Safe in my arms**_

_**You're only sleeping**_

I had gotten her cremated. Sekka hold told me at some point that if she ever died she wanted to be burned because fire purified and that was what she felt she needed. I set the rose down on her marker and lean down to examine it. Her name was bold, carved into the gray stone with her birth and death dates inscribed below.

I rest my hand on it for a moment before I stand up and turn, walking away but not before picking up the urn. She had no other living family other then her mother who was in the hospital and unable to leave so they left the urn in my care. I was going to bury it but I couldn't bare the thought of her lying in the cold earth. Instead I was going to spread them somewhere that she would want to be.

_**What can you see**_

_**On the horizon?**_

_**Why do the white doves call?**_

I walked slowly every step taking a good part of my effort. I didn't want to walk, I wanted to lay on the ground and cry but I knew that I couldn't. I thought back to her, how much I loved her how strong the urge to help her was in the beginning. I even remembered her hard eyes with a sense of passion. She wasn't weak, that was one thing I knew, even if she did end her own life she didn't do it in weakness but as a means to defeat Marik, to take something away from him.

I stopped when I reached the river and sat down, staring out at the water.

_**Across the sea**_

_**A pale moon rises**_

_**The ships have come**_

_**To carry you home**_

The sun sparkled across it, making it warm and serene. And I still couldn't stop thinking about her. She was right, we had something that few people ever experience. I know that I never will, even if I do get married I know that it won't be anything like having her but that was just something that I was going to have to accept.

The dots on the water looked like little souls, sparkling as they crossed the river of death and I sighed, reaching for the urn. I wanted to open it and spread the contents but something was holding me back from actually doing it.

_**And all will turn**_

_**To silver glass**_

_**A light on the water**_

_**All souls pass**_

Maybe it was that it was the ultimate clarity that she was gone, reduced to nothing but ashes. Maybe it was something that I just didn't want to face. I could see her in my minds eyes, strong, proud, and stubborn with a deadly temper but that was only one side of the coin. I was sure that I was one of the only people who had seen her brighter side, seen the artist and the painter and the philosopher that she was underneath it all.

It hurts me to think that she died in a state of anger, in a state of depression and desperation. I was glad that I never had to see her wither and fade, to see her will weaken. I don't think I could have handled that, seeing her become what she had been, what I had saved her from.

_**Hope fades**_

_**Into the world of night**_

_**Shadows falling**_

_**Out of memory and time **_

I can still remember when the officers came and told me that she was dead how I refused to believe them. I wanted so badly to believe that she was still alive, breathing freely somewhere. But slowly the reality had suck in and as I read more and more of her words, I began to understand her deeper then what I already had, what she believed in, the ideas she had.

I began to see what a spiritual person she was, even in the beginning in her rougher days, she still believed in the power of the mind and later, in the power of her heart. But that fit her, seemed to make the strength she had make sense because she relied on no-one but herself, and later, me. She was her own rock and it made the fact that she had called herself weak almost laughable. She didn't know half the strength that she truly possessed.

_**Don't say**_

_**We have come now to the end**_

_**White shores are calling**_

_**You and I will meet again**_

I had no doubt in my mind, with her very strong belief in the supernatural that we would meet again at some point. Even now there are times when I'm sure that she's beside me and that if I wanted to I could reach out and touch her, times when I can almost feel her hand on my shoulder, her breath on my neck. And sometimes just the discreet knowledge that she's in the room, just a certainty that seems to come out of nowhere.

_**And you'll be in my arms**_

_**Just sleeping**_

I slowly reach out and begin to open the urn. The lid comes off easily and I look down at her remains for a moment before I walk closer to the river. The sun is shining and I'm glad that I chose today to release her. I don't think I would feel quite as good about this if it was dark and raining.

I toss the urn, letting the ashes fall into the water, flowing above it before carried away on the current, being taken downstream. I set the urn down and wipe a tear from my eye as I see her being taken from water and wind alike, but I have a feeling this is what she would have wanted.

_**What can you see**_

_**On the horizon?**_

_**Why do the white doves call?**_

_Thank-you._

The softly spoken words seem to come out of nowhere, as if someone spoke him but I know no-one has. I know it's Sekka's voice, I would recognize it anywhere. I feel someone watching me and turn to be greeted with her image. She doesn't say anything but smiles in a way that I had never seen her smile before and the haunted look was gone entirely from her brightly sparkling eyes.

_I love you, Yami. I'll be seeing you one of these days._ I wanted to reach out and try to stop her from disappearing buy I know that's no use, that she was beyond the physical realms now. I smiled and turn back to the bright blue water, reminding me of her eyes.

"Yes." I said slowly to myself. "I will be seeing you…………..one of these days."

_**Across the sea**_

_**A pale moon rises**_

_**the ships have come to carry you home**_

(I was originally going to have a poem in the diary instead of a note but I liked the note idea better. However I still wanted to include the poem so I added it at the end. I think it might help the title of the story to make a little more sense.)

_Like Petals From A Rose_

_Like petals from a rose,_

_We bloom,_

_Our petals red with our passion,_

_Like the blood that courses through our veins,_

_The green stem of our youth,_

_Bright against the sunshine,_

_We don't have a care in the world,_

_All we need is the soil of out fragile dreams,_

_That vanish with just rainfall,_

_Like petals from a rose,_

_We grow frail and old,_

_Like forgotten wildflowers,_

_Our youth fades,_

_And thorns drop like small pieces of our will,_

_We blow in the wind,_

_Fight,_

_And tire of resistance,_

_Letting one dream got at a time,_

_We grow hard as the frost kisses our skin,_

_And turns us to ice,_

_With a frozen tongue,_

_A fatal winter lover,_

_How it seduces lies,_

_And rapes life,_

_Like petals from a rose,_

_We live, _

_Love, _

_Fight, _

_And as the last petal kisses the ground,_

_We fall_

A/N: # Dries eyes # Wow, that makes me even a little bit sad! Ok, I'm over it. So what did you guys think? This the ending so I really want to get some feedback on what you think about the ending, if you liked it or not. So leave me a review and let me know. And again, thank-you to all of my wonderful readers, I love you all. If you want, I'm starting an original story that has to do with vampires: Here's the link if you want to check it out. So until then, Ja!

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